Hunter x in the x Making
by Mrs.InsaneOne
Summary: Anger, fear, guilt, and desperation force Harry to flee Hogwarts in the wake of the fiasco that was the Tri-Wizard Tournament after overhearing Dumbledore and Snape speaking about the need for Harry to die in order to fulfill the prophecy. Evil!Dumbledore & Evil!Snape. Pairings; HP/Canary, HG/RW
1. A x Conversation x Overheard

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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**Hunter x in the x Making  
**Chapter One: A x Conversation x Overheard

Unable to sleep due to the nightmares that had been haunting him and feeling too uneasy and restless to drown out the wretched dreams with Dreamless Sleep for the second night in a row, fourteen year old Harry Potter slipped silently out of his bed and pulled on his invisibility cloak. Hidden from the naked eye with the magical cloak that had once belonged to his father, Harry made his way out of Gryffindor Tower and wandered through the halls of Hogwarts until he found an out of the way window alcove above eye level that faced the lake. Climbing up into the window sill, Harry tucked the edges of the invisibility cloak around his feet and beneath his legs to prevent a breeze from exposing any portion of his body and giving away his presence.

He then leaned back against the wall and turned to stare out over the shadow cloaked grounds; his thoughts once more returning to the fiasco that was the final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the terrible ritual that he'd been forced to play a part in just two days earlier. Bile burned the back of Harry's throat as his mind once again replayed Cedric's death and it was only through will power alone that he didn't empty his stomach. Harry shoved the memory of Pettigrew casting the Killing Curse at Cedric to the back of his mind as he closed his eyes and struggled to take slow, deep breaths in order to calm his stomach. He'd barely brought himself back under control when he heard a pair of familiar voices approaching his refuge.

"… in a foul mood due to the brat escaping yet again. The fools that rushed to his side when he first called for everyone suffered greatly for failing to prevent him from getting away," Severus Snape reported in his usual borderline caustic tone though Harry could hear an undercurrent of pain in the man's voice. "He was also less than pleased to learn that Crouch Jr. was kissed; he'd planned for Crouch Jr. to infiltrate the Ministry by impersonating his father. The Dark Lord is at least content to know that Madam Bones will be unable to question Crouch Jr. for any additional information."

"He was not angry with you for not appearing when he first called?" Albus Dumbledore inquired as both men slowed to a stop in the puddle of moonlight that fell through the window in which Harry was perched.

"No, he was quite pleased that I remained here and gathered a wealth of intelligence on what was happening here in the wake of Potter's escape; though he was not pleased with all of the information that I had passed to him. However, he was positively gleeful when I reported the Minister's stance in regards to the brat's announcement of the Dark Lord's rebirth and he intends to take full advantage of Fudge's idiocy."

"Do you know what he is planning?"

"He intends to keep a low profile for the next year or two in order to make people doubt the validity of Potter's claims that he has been raised from the dead. He has ordered Lucius to maneuver Fudge into starting a smear campaign against you and the brat in the hopes that any suspected Death Eater activities will be buried beneath the accusations that the bumbling Minister is bound bring up as time progresses."

"What does he intend to do about the boy?"

"Nothing at the moment; he obviously still wants the arrogant brat dead but the Dark Lord is seeking more information before he dares attempt to face him again. He grilled me endlessly for three hours straight about the prophecy; trying to determine if I held anything back from him when I first delivered the information to him. He also sought to know what kind of student Potter has been all of this time and I didn't hesitate to inform the Dark Lord that the arrogant brat has no real talent for anything and that he's barely scraped by the passing grades necessary to return each year."

"If only that were actually true," Dumbledore lamented much to Harry's shock. "I will have to add additional bindings to the ones that I have placed on the boy over the past thirteen years in order to limit his abilities further. I can't risk the boy's natural talents being displayed in front of the student body yet again as not only would that jeopardize your precarious position as Voldemort's spy if one of the Death Eaters' children were to give a report that contradicts yours but it would potentially allow the wretched boy to escape death once more."

"Will you pretend to train him this year in order to 'prepare' him for his destiny?"

"No, I will distance myself from the boy this year… let him flounder and struggle with the guilt he undoubtedly feels after witnessing the death of his fellow champion. I will need to make certain that his friends give him 'breathing space' this summer as well in order to limit the amount of information he receives while outside of school and to keep him as isolated as possible to keep him further off balance and therefore malleable."

"Have you spoken to the Dursleys about your plans for the brat this summer?"

"Yes, they've been informed to keep the boy in the house as much as possible, to limit his access to any form of media, and to lock up his things along with the snowy owl golem that I replaced his owl with at the start of this year; damn bird was beginning to become a nuisance each time I attempted to scan the boy's correspondence. I also assured Petunia that the boy will be unable to use his godfather as a threat against her and her family this year like he did last summer. I've placed several Compulsion Charms on both Lupin and Black to convince them that they don't need to worry about the boy, to avoid all contact with the boy, and to stay as far away from him as they can in order to protect the boy from Death Eaters."

"My darling half-sister must have been pleased to hear that."

"Almost as pleased as she was with the money I delivered to her," Dumbledore chortled. "Oh, that reminds me; will you have enough time to brew a batch of Dream Enhancer Elixir before the students leave? Petunia will need to have enough on hand to last for the duration of the summer break; a lack of sleep and a constant reminder of his failures should help weaken the boy's mental shields in preparation for the Occlumency lessons that you agreed to give him next year when we discussed next year's class schedule a few weeks ago. I've already had Madam Pince pull all of the Occlumency texts from the shelves so that there will be no chance of the boy or the annoying Granger twit stumbling across the necessary instructions once you start training him."

"I can have the Enhancer finished by tomorrow afternoon," Snape replied after a moment's contemplation. "I should also have enough time to brew a Nightmare Inducer, if you wish to have a back up in case the boy builds up a tolerance to the Enhancer."

"Wonderful suggestion, Severus my boy, bring me both potions as soon as you have them finished and I will see to it that they are delivered promptly."

"Was there anything else you needed from me, Albus?"

"When did Tom order you to return to his side?"

"Two days after the students leave for the summer break."

"That gives me four days to come up with a reason for Tom to seek the boy out by the end of next term in order to kill him once and for all."

"I thought you intended to draw the war out for another six to ten year in order to properly cow the wizarding world?"

"I originally did but the boy is proving far too troublesome of a pawn to keep in check and I'd rather not allow him a chance to fall in love and produce the next generation of Potters or worse, Evanses, before I trick Tom into killing him. I did not miss the fact that he began to notice girls this year and if he grows any closer to the blasted Weasley brood it could spell disaster for my future plans. It was bad enough his mother managed to marry the last of the Potters, giving her wretched son access to the Potter Inheritances, but adding the high fertility of the Prewitt females in the mix (should he take up with the youngest Weasley) would ruin all of the hard work I put into eradicating the lines of both Potters and Evanses."

"I could brew a dose of Aboleo Fertilitas to slip to the Potter brat," Snape offered as the two men finally began walking away from the window where the invisible Harry was sitting. "There would be no need to worry about him reproducing at all once the potion finished rendering him infertile."

"Tempting, but you can't administer the Aboleo Fertilitas until after a wizard has reached his majority; otherwise there is a fifty-fifty chance that it will not completely render the wizard infertile. And subsequent doses will not work at all to correct the problem; that's how I ended up with the boy's father after I tried dosing his grandfather with that particular potion when he first arrived at Hogwarts. I had dosed his father as well but not until after he'd already gotten the Evans trollop pregnant. Besides, I have no intention of allowing the boy to live past his sixteenth birthday; I just have to get Tom to somehow…"

Harry sat frozen in shock, hardly daring to even breathe, for close to an hour after Snape's and Dumbledore's voices had faded away. He couldn't believe that he'd just overheard Snape and Dumbledore plotting his death. He'd considered Dumbledore as something of a grandfather for the past four years and to learn that the man saw him as nothing more than a pawn hurt. The knowledge that Petunia was in on the deal didn't surprise him (she'd never made any effort to hide the fact that she hated Harry) but the fact that she was Snape's half-sister was enough to make him sick over the mere thought that Snape could be in any way, shape, or form related to him.

Once Harry could move again, he slipped down off the window ledge and wandered aimlessly through the halls of the castle as the first traces of panic began to set in. He had to get away from Hogwarts and he had to get away _now_. He couldn't allow Dumbledore to bind his magic (something he'd apparently done at least once in the past) and he most definitely didn't want to be forced back to Privet Drive where he'd be tormented with potion enhanced nightmares for the next ten weeks.

The traumatized fourteen year old eventually ended up back in the Gryffindor Common Room with no knowledge of how he'd made it back to the tower or how he'd gotten through the portrait. Harry pulled off his invisibility cloak and just stood in the center of the empty room for a long time trying to come up with an escape plan. He had no idea just how long he'd been standing in a panic filled haze there when a persistent tugging on his pants drew his attention downwards to where a worried Dobby was staring up at him with concern. Harry stared at the elf blankly for several minutes until he recalled how Dobby had helped Harry more than once over the course of the year.

"Dobby, can you help me?" Harry asked desperately as he dropped to his knees in front of the elf. "Dumbledore and Snape… there was talk of potions and bindings… death and lies… and terrible things… Please…? I don't know who else I can trust and I can't risk involving my friends, least they get hurt because of me."

"The great Harry Potter sir is in trouble?" Dobby asked in response; his large ears stiffening while his large green eyes grew wide.

"They're going to kill me," Harry hoarsely replied. "They're going to bind my magic to make me even weaker before they send me to face Voldemort again so that the Dark Lord can kill me. I have to… I have to leave, now. I have no idea where to go but I know I can't stay here and the further I am away from my relatives the better. I can't ask Hermione or any of the Weasleys for help because I can't let them get hurt because of me."

"Dobby wants to help his friend but Dobby has to obey the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Dobby would have to find a proper master to bond with him to break the partial bond that binds Dobby to Hogwarts and then Dobby would be free to help his friend."

"A master…? I thought you were a free elf? Didn't you tell me that Dumbledore is paying you?"

"Dobby is only half free because Dobby is accepting monies but Dobby is still bound to serve the castle because house elves need the anchor the bond provides to keep our minds. Without the bond, our minds break apart and we lose ourselves; it is a fate worth than death for a house elf to lose his mind. Winky is already gone; her mind shattered by her broken heart because she loved her master too much and she wasn't accepting a new bond or monies for paying so Winky not even have the partial bond that Dobby has to keep her whole."

"Why didn't you tell that to Hermione? She's been trying to free all of the elves."

"Headmaster Dumbledore forbade the elves from telling Harry Potter's Grangy the truth."

"Okay… somehow that doesn't surprise me; I'll have to pass that information on to Hermione later. For now, you said if we find you a new master, then you'll be able to help me escape?"

"Yes."

"How do we do that?"

"If Harry Potter sir bonds with Dobby, then Harry Potter sir will be Dobby's new master and Dobby will be able to help his friend. Any other master might order Dobby not to help his friend," Dobby timidly pointed out as he clasped his hands behind his back, lowered his gaze to the floor, and toed the floor in front of him.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Don't you have to be an adult to bond with an elf?"

"No, a new master only needs to have enough magic to bond with a new elf. Harry Potter sir was strong enough to bond dozens of house elves two years ago and you has only grown stronger; even with most of Harry Potter sir's magic locked away."

"Oh… I didn't know that. I guess, if you're sure you don't mind having me as master, I'm okay with you bonding to me but you're going to have to explain it to Hermione because I really don't want her yelling at me."

"Dobby doesn't mind," the elf replied as he wrapped his arms around Harry's left arm and hugged him as he grinned at the young wizard. "Dobby wanted to be the great Harry Potter sir's elf since the day Harry Potter sir freed Dobby from nasty old master. Dobby teach Harry Potter sir how to form the bond now so Dobby can be saving his friend."

The process took approximately one hour as Harry had difficulty casting the spell through the bindings that had been placed upon his core at some point in his life. Once it was finished though (and the elf's giddiness that had been caused by the influx of his magic had faded), Dobby snapped into action; fetching Harry's things from his dorm room, removing the rather large assortment of Tracking Charms, Compulsion Charms, and Loyalty Charms that had been cast upon nearly everything that Harry owned, and popping Harry across the castle to where a blank stretch of wall sat across from a tapestry of a wizard trying to teach trolls to dance. The fourteen year old then watched as Dobby paced back and forth in front of the blank stretch of wall, only to jump back in surprise when a door suddenly appeared after the third or forth time the elf crossed the same place.

"Master Harry Potter sir will find all that he needs in here," Dobby explained as he opened the door to reveal a small room with a cozy chair, a table, the Sorting Hat, Dumbledore's phoenix, and seven rather dusty boxes. "This is being the Come and Go Room where the things one needs most is found."

"Why would I need Dumbledore's phoenix?" Harry demanded in a voice that cracked with fear as Fawkes glanced up to meet Harry's gaze.

"**Immortal beings such as I can not be owned by foolish wizards,**" Fawkes countered irritably in a melodious voice as he ruffled his wings. "**I am bound to Hogwarts and represent the castle's heart. I may have to cater to the whims of the fool that calls himself our Headmaster so long as he remains the Headmaster of the school but he is not my master and he can not stop me from aiding those who ask for help while they call this castle home.**"

"Don't just stand there gawking, Mr. Potter," the Sorting Hat ordered as he shifted around to glance at the teen. "Step inside and close the door so that we may provide you with the help you so desperately need."

Harry automatically complied and soon found himself seated in the only chair inside of the room facing both Fawkes and the Sorting Hat. After a long minute where the three of them simply stared at one another, Harry nervously asked, "How exactly can you help me? I mean, there's no basilisk to fight this time… so…?"

"**Children are such simple creatures,**" Fawkes remarked with a mixture of exasperation and amusement as he bent his neck and preened his chest feathers.

"You should be thankful that you don't have muck about in their minds every year," the Sorting Hat harrumphed as he shifted around to scowl up at the phoenix. The Hat then turned back to Harry as he replied, "To answer your question, we're going to give you the tools you need to escape the tangled web that Albus has been weaving around you since the day your great-grandfather first made a name for himself. First, Hogwarts has collected a number of books that will provide you with a wealth of information that has been denied to generations of young witches and wizards."

Fawkes rose from his perch beside the Sorting Hat and fetched three of the dusty boxes in the room and carried them over to Harry side one at a time as the Hat continued to speak, "Through the years, Dumbledore has convinced the Ministry of Magic to ban more than half of the books gathered because they contain information on magics that are no longer attainable to the purebloods due to generations of inbreeding and the loss of hundreds of magical inheritances. There is no guarantee that you will be able to learn all of the magic held within their pages but the knowledge will stand you in good stead and give you a good foundation to learn the higher magics that few people in the last five centuries have seen."

"The rest of the books contain basic information on the inner workings of the wizarding world; information that you and all of your muggleborn and muggle raised peers should have been taught over the course of your first year in order to better help you integrate your lives into the wizarding world. The removal of that information from the syllabus near the turn of the century has only fueled the tension between muggleborns and purebloods and created an ever widening chasm between the muggle and magical worlds. It is nothing short of a travesty that so many potential witches and wizards have perished because they lacked the proper understanding of the hazards that they face as magicals."

"Next, the castle has gathered the navigational tools that you will need to help find your way in the world and the written guides to teach you how to use them. A few of them may need to be cleaned and repaired before they can be of use but their magic is still as strong as it was the day they were enchanted. Included amongst those items are a few artifacts that will prevent someone from locating you using magical means; such as scrying or blood based locater rituals. The rest of the items that were collected were an assortment of supplies, devices, and training props that will aide you in your travels or help you to learn the older magics described within the books."

"Travel…? Can't I just find an old house to hide in? Won't it be dangerous to move about?" Harry demanded worriedly.

"**There is no place within magical Britain where you would be safe from Albus's machinations,**" Fawkes gently pointed out as he finished bringing over the rest of the boxes.

"Where would I go then? I don't even have a passport!"

"**The Children of War will help you but first Sortilegus must free you from the bindings that have bound your body, mind, magic, and soul.**"

"Sorta who?"

"Sortilegus," the Sorting Hat corrected snootily as he sat up straighter. "You didn't think my name was simply the Sorting Hat, did you?" Harry blushed bright red and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he avoided looking at the hat; he had actually thought that the hat's name was the Sorting Hat. Sortilegus huffed and shook his brim out as he groused, "It's a good thing Godric didn't leave me with the ability to hold a grudge against snot-nosed brats. I'd have started strangling them centuries ago for all of the insults they've directed at me; both knowingly and unknowingly. I suppose in your case you at least had an excuse; seeing as how Albus meddled with your mental capabilities."

"Is that your way of calling me messed up in the head?" Harry asked as he tipped his head to the side and considered the hat for a moment.

"If the brim fits," Sortilegus retorted with a wheezing chuckle. "Enough playing around, child; put me on your head so I can sort things out for you again."

"What do you mean again?" Harry inquired as he picked up the hat and placed it on his head.

"_I removed one of the bindings when you first sat beneath my brim to be sorted into your house,_" Sortilegus whispered into his ear as the hat settled firmly onto his head. "_I removed another the day you challenged me in your second year and another on the day you fought the basilisk. Sadly, Albus soon realized that I was meddling in his plans and he took pains to prevent me from being placed upon your head yet again. He's also replaced each of the bindings I'd removed in addition to adding several new ones overtop of the ones I had not been able to remove the other three times I sat upon your brow. Brace yourself, child; this is going to be more than a little unpleasant because there is not enough time for me to slowly unravel the bindings one at a time._"

Harry had barely finished processing the cryptic warning that Sortilegus had given him when it felt like someone was ripping his brain to shreds. He opened his mouth to scream only to find he couldn't breathe as the pain soon expanded from his brain to his heart and his entire chest exploded in agony. It was a hundred times worse than being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse and if he had been able to form a coherent thought, Harry would have wished for death in order to escape the sheer agony. The pain only amplified in the next instant as it moved to encompass every inch of his body even as it moved beyond mere physical pain.

When the pain finally faded to a tolerable ache, Harry found himself sprawled out on the floor of the room with blood leaking from his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and scar. A few feet off to his left, Sortilegus lay flat and unmoving on the floor; the hat's magic having been completely exhausted by the process of removing every single binding that had been placed upon Harry during the course of the past thirteen years. Harry closed his eyes again as he took a shuddering breath that made his lungs ache in remembered pain. He couldn't help but flinch when he felt a warm, wet cloth wipe at the blood staining his face and he opened his eyes to find a worried Dobby hovering over him as he cleaned Harry's face.

"**How do you feel, child?**" Fawkes inquired as he landed on the floor beside the teen and twisted his head back and forth to peer at him with both eyes.

"Like I was trampled by a herd of rampaging hippogriffs for two months straight before the centaur's used me for target practice all night long," Harry hoarsely rasped in response to the question.

"**The pain shall pass in time; your magic should already be soothing your hurts now that it is no longer bound.**"

"Where'd Mr. Hat go? I've got half a mind to yell at him for making the understatement of the year when he told me that removing the bindings was supposed to be a little unpleasant. He said nothing about trying to rip me apart from the inside out."

"**Sortilegus nearly unmade himself to free you of your binds; a little respect would not go amiss for the magic he sacrificed on your behalf.**"

"I didn't know he'd harmed himself for me. Is there anything I can do to help him?" Harry automatically asked once he got over the shock of the Sorting Hat doing something like that for him. "He will be alright, won't he?"

"**He will be fine in a few months. In the mean time, he will sleep.**"

"Oh, I'm glad he wasn't unmade. Will you tell him I said thank you? Since I don't know when I'll be back so I can tell him myself."

"**I will see to it that your message is passed along.**"

"Thank you. What happens now?"

"**I will deliver you to the Children of War. When they demand to know why you have invaded their home after hours; tell them that the time has come for an Evans to Hunt once more. Do make certain that you treat them with respect for not even your heritage will save you should you insult one of their higher ranked individuals. I shall send your bonded Child of Duty to join you once you have left these shores.**"

So saying, the phoenix latched onto Harry's shoulder and engulfed him in a swirl of flames that drowned out all of his senses for several seconds. When the flames receded and he could make out his surroundings once more, Harry found himself lying in the middle of Gringotts Bank with his school trunk and several dusty boxes sitting beside him. Fawkes burst into a commanding song as he launched himself into the air and circled Harry three times before he vanished in a second swirl of flames. Just seconds later, the fourteen year old was surrounded by a forest of deadly spear points held by angry goblins and Harry tasted bile at the back of his throat as the precariousness of his current position slammed home.

"Who dares break into the hallowed grounds of Gringotts in the cold hours before the dawn?" the goblin wearing the fanciest armor out of those present demanded as he waved his spear beneath Harry's nose to impress upon the young wizard the importance of telling the truth.

Swallowing his fear, Harry took a deep breath as he lifted his gaze to meet the angry goblin's glare as he stated, "My name is Harry James Potter and Fawkes the phoenix told me to tell you that it is time for an Evans to hunt once more, Master Goblin."

"Stand down," the goblin ordered and Harry let out an audible sigh when the spear points were redirected up towards the ceiling and most of the goblins scattered back to wherever they had been prior to Harry's abrupt arrival. The goblin in fancy armor then addressed the goblin standing beside him, "Guard; fetch an Inheritance Stone and send it with Curse Breaker Weasley to my office along with the trash that is currently scattered all over the lobby floor." The formidable goblin then turned his attention back to the wizard still partially sprawled on the floor. "You reek of fresh blood; where are you wounded?"

"I'm not."

"Then why do you bleed, human?"

"The Sort… er… uh, that is, Sortilegus, Hogwarts' Sorting Hat, removed a bunch of bindings all at once because he said there wasn't time to remove them one at a time…"

"Multiple bindings? What was it that was bound; mind, magic, body, or soul?"

"Er… all of the above?"

"How many days has it been since the bindings were removed?"

"Um… not more than five or ten minutes… I think," Harry replied hesitantly since he didn't really know exactly how much time had passed since the Hat had finished or even how long the process had taken. "I was a little more hung up on the sheer agony I had experienced during the years it felt like it took for the bindings to be removed and Fawkes didn't say anything about how long it took or how much time had passed since the Hat finished and Sortilegus was beyond answering by that point."

"You remained conscious during the unbinding?" the goblin exclaimed in surprise.

"Was I not supposed to?"

"The pain of breaking multiple bindings has been said to be comparable to experiencing the Cruciatus Curse," the goblin stated as he studied Harry with dark eyes. "Few humans can remain sane after experiencing the Cruciatus for more than five minutes and unbinding every aspect of your being would have taken at least thrice that even if they were stripped from you simultaneously. It would have been kinder to knock you unconscious before stripping the bindings from you."

"I'd much rather experience the pain curse again than to ever have to go through another unbinding," Harry deadpanned as he roughly pushed himself up into a sitting position. "At least I could still think and walk after being Cruciated by Voldemort two days ago."

The goblin arched an eyebrow over that declaration before he asked, "Can you walk now?"

"So long as we don't have to go too far; my legs still feel like jelly."

Harry ended up being carried to the still unnamed goblin's office after two unsuccessful attempts to stand on his own two feet. He was more than a little embarrassed about being carried through the bank by one of the hulking goblin guards but kept his complaints to himself least he offend the goblins. The fourteen year old had barely been set down on a less than comfortable chair when Ron's oldest brother, Bill, entered the office carrying what looked like a stone block while levitating Harry's trunk and all of the dusty boxes that supposedly contained everything that Hogwarts had given to him according to Fawkes and Sortilegus.

"Harry…? What are you doing here? Did something happen up at the school? Oh, Merlin's shorn beard! Your clothes have blood on them! Have you been attacked again?" Bill demanded the moment he saw Harry sitting in the middle of the office. Harry swallowed thickly and dropped his gaze to his knees as his stomach churned with fear and worry while he tried to figure out what to say. "Do you want me to contact Professor Dumbledore to let him know where you are so that he can come get you and take you back to the castle?"

"No!" Harry cried frantically as he scrambled up onto his feet. All three goblins in the office stared at Harry in shock while Bill jumped a bit at the unexpectedly violent reaction. Harry clung to the chair so as not to fall on his face and stared at Bill with haunted eyes as he added, "I can't go back and you can't tell Dumbledore I left because he wants me dead before I turn sixteen."

"What?" Bill demanded in pure shock while the looks on the goblins' faces turned calculating. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? Dumbledore would never…"

"I swear on my magic that Dumbledore wants me dead before my sixteenth birthday because he doesn't want me to get closer to your sister or any other girl because he doesn't want me to start a family," Harry rasped in desperation as tears collected in his eyes. "I heard him and Snape… they've even got my Aunt Petunia in on things… they want her to feed me potions to make my nightmares worse to break down my mental defenses for something called occluemancy lessons or something like that. And… and Snape is supposed to talk Voldemort into killing me before the end of my fifth year."

"Will you show me your memory of the conversation you overheard, human?" the goblin in the fancy armor asked as he stepped forward and gently pushed Harry back down in the chair when it became obvious that Harry was having trouble staying on his feet.

"I don't know how…"

"Curse Breaker Weasley is more than capable of drawing the memory out so that we might view it."

"You aren't going to keep it to make me forget what happened, are you?" Harry asked as he unflinchingly met the goblin's gaze with jaded emerald eyes that shimmered with unshed tears.

"No, he will make a copy of the memory for us to view."

"Okay."

Bill stepped up beside Harry as he drew his wand and Harry flinched the moment the tip of the wand rose up so that it was pointing at him. He relaxed when the older wizard simply placed the tip against Harry's left temple before he instructed, "I need you to focus on the entire conversation you overheard; from the moment it started to the moment it ended. Let me know once you've pulled the memory to the front of your mind and I'll start copying it."

Harry closed his eyes, pulled up the memory as instructed, and murmured a tentative, "I'm ready."

The teen felt something tugging at his mind and then the memory of the conversation between Snape and Dumbledore was being stretched out before it suddenly snapped back into place. Harry jumped at the strange feeling and when he opened his eyes he saw a long silver strand dangling from the tip of Bill's wand; much like the memories he'd seen Dumbledore pull from his mind earlier that year. His memory was then deposited into a smooth stone bowl carved all over with runes.

Harry felt his earlier nausea return as he watched both Bill and the goblin vanish into the pensieve and he prayed that Fawkes hadn't made a mistake in bringing him to Gringotts. The teen then immediately offered the phoenix a silent apology as he knew the magical bird had not meant him any harm; if he had, then Harry would have found himself right back in Dumbledore's clutches. Covering his face with both hands, Harry curled up in the chair he was sitting in and drifted off into a fitful sleep that was wrought with nightmares that twisted his greatest fears together with his worst memories.

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**Translations:** Latin to English

Aboleo Fertilitas – Aboleo (meaning to destroy/do away with/obliterate) and Fertilitas (meaning fertility/fruitfulness); a potions designed to render any _male_ drinker infertile (no known antidote) with a sister potion called Abolea Fertilitas that is designed to render a female drinker infertile. Neither potion will consistently work if taken before maturity.  
Sortilegus – soothsayer; I though this an appropriate name for the Sorting Hat given how he often gives warnings during troubled times when he sings his sorting songs.

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	2. Inheritance x and x Guidance

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Two: Inheritance x and x Guidance

Harry woke up several hours later, feeling far better than he expected to given how poorly he'd slept. He was more than a little surprised to find that he'd been moved into a different room, that his clothes had been changed, and that he'd been cleaned up without being woken up. The teen pushed himself upright and swung his feet over the side of the bed slash couch that he'd been placed on and brought his hands up to hold his head when the change in position brought a wave of lightheadedness and pain with it. Thankfully, both sensations passed quickly and Harry was able to climb up onto his feet and while he still felt somewhat weak, he no longer hand any trouble staying on his feet.

The door to the room opened just as Harry was contemplating on searching for a goblin to find out where he'd been taken and where his things had been moved. A familiar redhead poked into the room and Bill sighed with obvious relief when his eyes landed on Harry and the older wizard then offered Harry a warm smile as he asked, "How are you feeling, Harry?"

"I'm fine," Harry replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Glad to hear it. Come on, then; my supervisor is impatient to get down to business."

Just a few minutes later, Harry was once more seated in front of the desk of the goblin from before. His things, which he vaguely recalled Bill bringing into the office, were neatly stacked in the northern corner of the room and aside from the dust being cleaned from the boxes, appeared to be untouched.

"Now that you've finally regained consciousness, let's get this over with, human," the goblin growled as he eyed Harry with a calculating gaze. "It is time for you to prove your claim to the Evans' line."

"How do I do that, sir?" Harry asked with a slight frown as he glanced between Bill and the goblin in the hopes that one of them would explain things to him.

"With blood and magic," the goblin answered in a tone that said that Harry should have known that.

Harry nodded jerkily as he reached for his wand out of habit, only for Bill to whisk it out of his hand before he'd even finished palming the handle as he hissed, "Never draw your wand in the presence of a goblin before asking permission."

"Sorry, sir," Harry quickly apologized to the goblin as heat suffused his face over the social blunder he'd nearly made out of ignorance since he hadn't known that drawing his wand in the bank would be a problem.

"I'll excuse your rudeness this time, human," the goblin stated as he waved away Harry's apology. "You'll not need your wand in any case. Curse Breaker Weasley, please strip the wand of any tracking, tracing, and binding spells while I guide the child through the inheritance process."

"Yes, sir."

Harry tried not to cringe when he heard the word strip as he vividly recalled the pain he'd experienced when he'd been stripped of the bindings that had been placed on him. It made him wonder if the magic in the wand would feel pain since there were times when his wand almost seemed to have a mind of its own. Harry's musings were soon interrupted as the goblin seated at the desk began barking out instructions at him.

"Don't just sit there, human; you'll need to step up to my desk to use the stone."

Harry quickly complied, stumbling a bit as his legs protested the sudden need to support his weight. He ignored the slight weakness, to avoid further annoying the formidable goblin practically glaring at him over the top of the desk, as he made his way up to the desk as ordered. The teen then gave the goblin his complete attention as he waited for the next instruction.

"Take this dagger and use it to slice open the palms of both hands. You will then need to allow the blood to pool in both palms before you press your bloodied hands to each end of the stone block at the same time. The moment your bloodied hands come into contact with the stone, the stone will activate and draw upon your magic through your blood. Do not try to fight the pull on your magic; doing so will cause you pain. Do you have any questions?"

"No, sir," Harry replied as he accepted the crystal bladed and bone handled dagger the goblin extended towards him.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably as he shifted the handle of the blade into his left hand while he wrapped his right hand around the sharp side of the blade. Taking a deep breath, Harry tightened his right hand as he pulled the blade free with his left; the razor sharp blade easily slicing through his skin with little effort. Harry refused to cry out as the sharp bite of the self-inflicted wound made itself known just seconds later. He repeated the process with his left hand, his right arm shaking slightly as he struggled to ignore the pain he felt as he gripped the bone handle with his injured palm.

The bloody dagger was set onto a cloth that the goblin spread out beside the stone (to prevent Harry's blood from staining the desk) and Harry cupped his palms as he placed his hands to either side of the stone. Blood trickled down the back of his hand and down his arms as he struggled to hold them steady while he waited for an adequate amount of blood to collect inside of his palms. The second that neither palm could hold even a single drop more, Harry slapped the sides of his cupped palms onto the stone before rolling his palm up onto the flat sides (so as not to spill too much of his blood).

Harry then closed his eyes as he immediately felt a tugging sensation deep within him that was almost similar to the feeling he got each time he cast a spell with his wand. Seconds later, he felt a flood of heat rushing through him instead of the usual thin thread of warmth that he'd come to associate with his magic. He let out a gasp as he wretched his eyes opens to find the stone in front of him glowing gold and throwing off a considerable amount of heat and he felt a thread of fear trace through him as it occurred to him that the stone could shatter beneath his hands. That fear soon passed when nothing more seemed to happen and Harry was soon mesmerized by the brilliant glow as it fluctuated between orange, yellow, and true gold (the affect similar to flickering flames).

The teen probably would have stood there for hours just watching his magic pulse inside of the stone if not for the stone melting beneath his hands to form a glowing tablet covered in runes. The moment his hands were no longer touching the stone due to the change in shape, the flow of magic coursing through Harry abruptly cut off and he sank to his knees as exhaustion immediately set in while it felt like millions of buzzing bees had taken up residence beneath his skin. If he'd looked in a mirror in that precise instant, Harry would have seen hundreds of golden dust motes sparking in the depths of his green irises; a visible side effect that was a direct result of the amount of magic that was still coursing through his very blood.

"Curse Breaker Weasley; please attend to Mr. Potter while I analyze the results of the Inheritance Test."

"Come on, Harry; let's get you up off the floor," Bill murmured as he grabbed Harry beneath the armpits and hauled him up off the floor before he guided the teen back to the chair he'd been sitting in earlier, healed his still bleeding hands, and cleaned the blood from his skin and clothes. The long haired wizard then disappeared for a moment before returning a few minutes later to press a warm mug into his hands. "Drink; it will help wash away the exhaustion you're feeling right now."

Harry complied and nearly gagged on the sweet and sour taste of the drink he'd been given even as he felt his weariness being washed away. The second drink he took wasn't so overpowering, now that he knew what to expect, and he rolled the heated liquid around on his tongue for a moment in an effort to identify what exactly it was he was drinking. He thought he recognized pineapple, raspberry, and something earthy but the other flavors eluded him entirely. After a few more sips he finally gave up trying to pick out the ingredients and spent his time trying to decide whether or not he liked the taste.

"What exactly was that?" Harry asked curiously once he'd finished the last of the drink.

"Mulled Stone's Blood," Bill replied with a small smirk that abruptly reminded Harry of the twins even as he tried not to get sick over the mere thought that he'd just drank some kind of blood. "It's a goblin energy potion made from stone pressed fruits that have been boiled with sea salt, herbs, and a type of moss that only grows in the deepest and dampest of caves along the western coast of Scotland. The resulting syrup is then either mixed with warm goat's milk or goblin grog to make Mulled Stone's Blood or reheated and mixed with goat's milk, butter, and sugar until it caramelizes so it can be poured into molds and cooled to form a hard candy called Stone's Teeth that is very popular with goblin children."

"Oh, why doesn't Honeydukes or the tea trolley on the Express sell Stone's Teeth?"

"Few humans care to sample goblin treats or potions for fear that we would poison them," the goblin answered as he finished doing whatever it was he'd needed to do with the tablet Harry's magic had created from the block of stone.

"Pfft, I'd be far more worried about the sharp and pointy weapons you lot tend to tote around with you," Harry snorted as he eyed the heavy looking axe that was sitting on the goblin's desk. "Poison can be cured with a simple antidote or a bezoar while a body can bleed to death in a matter of seconds depending where you get stuck."

"You do not think that your magic could stop an attacking goblin?"

"Chances are; if you've pissed off one goblin enough that he attacks you, then you've undoubtedly pissed off the entire goblin nation or at least those that were close enough to witness what it was you did when you pissed off the first goblin. So, what good would stopping one goblin do when there is always another dozen or two attacking you from your blind side?" Harry asked right back as he glanced up and arched an eyebrow at the goblin.

The goblin chuckled in response to Harry's remark for a moment before he grew serious once more as he got down to business, "As amusing as it would be to hear some of your other observations and opinions of goblin culture, we have other matters that must be attended to. After studying your Inheritance Tablet, I have concluded that your claim to the Evans' line is valid and that you are the only surviving heir of the Evans Family in addition to being the only surviving heir to the Potter Family."

"That's not possible; shouldn't my cousin Dudley be listed as an heir to the Evans family as well since he is the only son of my mother's sister? For that matter, shouldn't my aunt be listed as an heir as well?"

"No, according to the tablet your mother and your maternal aunt only share the blood of their mother; not the blood of Samuel Evans (your maternal grandfather). Meaning that the only claim your aunt and her offspring have to the name of Evans is through adoption and there are no records that indicate Samuel Evans adopted any child."

"Oh, I suppose that would explain why my mum looks nothing like Aunt Petunia. So, what happens now? Fawkes didn't exactly say how it was you'd be able to help me when he told me that he was bringing me to you."

"There are several things we can do; we can help you sort out the mess that was made of your guardianship, provide you with travel documents and the funds you will need to leave the country, and provide you with the information you will need to become a Hunter."

"Where do we start?" Harry inquired as he sat up straighter.

"Due to your status as the sole heir to the Greater Ancient and Noble House of Potter, in addition to being the sole heir to the once lost Noble House of Evans and the heir apparent to the Lesser Ancient and Noble House of Black through blood, magic, and legal adoption; you are eligible to be emancipated under the Pureblood Preservation Act of sixteen seventy-three due to your current regent and guardian actively seeking to do you harm."

"What exactly does that mean, aside from the fact that I won't need a guardian any longer?"

"It means that you will have to take up the headships of House Potter, House Evans, and House Black (since the previous heir has been deemed ineligible) or appoint a new regent to oversee all of your estates until such time as you are prepared to take control of your families. Furthermore, you will be exempt from the underage restrictions in regards to casting magic outside of school and have the option of continuing your magical education through a self-study program instead of being required to attend a magical institution. Finally, it will grant you unrestricted access to all of the vaults leased to the Potter, Evans, and Black Families (bar the personal vaults of those still amongst the living) and allows you to limit those who might withdraw funds from your vaults."

The goblin paused a moment to allow Harry to digest that information before suggested, "Due to the risks involved if you remain within the British Isles, I highly recommend that you choose a new regent to mange your estates on your behalf until such time as you obtain the skills necessary to protect yourself against assassination or until those that wish you harm no longer pose a threat to your person."

"How do I go about finding a new regent? Are there rules involved or can I just appoint anyone?"

"There are very strict rules that govern the eligibility of an individual to act as a regent to another House," Bill answered when the goblin glanced at the wizard. "It would take far too long to explain the intricacies right now though, so I will give you a basic overview of the qualifications an individual would have to have in order to stand in as the sole regent to all three of the Houses to which you are heir. First, your applicant would have to be a pureblood due to the involvement of the House of Black. Next, your applicant would have to be the Head of House or heir apparent of his or her Family's House due to the status of House Potter as one of the Greater Ancient and Noble Houses. And the last requirement is that your applicant has to be an adult (age twenty-five or older) with a steady income and a clean criminal record."

"Preferably, they'd also be someone that you trust explicitly," the goblin added once Bill finished.

"Well that pretty much eliminates everyone I know," Harry huffed as he slumped back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sirius is on the run because Fudge refused to clear his name despite the fact that he's innocent, Professor Lupin doesn't have a steady job and I don't know if he is a pureblood or not, and everyone else I know and trust is under twenty years old, isn't a pureblood, or are potentially in Dumbledore's back pocket." Harry then frowned as he glanced up at Bill and considered the older wizard. "The Weasleys are purebloods and your father works for the Ministry… do you think he'd be willing…?"

"Dad doesn't qualify; he's not the Head of House Weasley nor is he the heir apparent. If not for that requirement, I'm certain that dad would have been honored to be chosen as your regent."

"Oh… do you know who the Head of House Weasley or the heir apparent is? Your family has been nothing but kind to be since I first met them."

"My Grandfather Septimus is still our Head of House but because of his age he is highly unlikely to be willing to take the regency for three additional houses. I was named his heir apparent eight years ago after Uncle Bilius died and dad refused to accept the heirship for reasons I was never told."

"Would you…?" Harry started to ask only to be cut off by Bill.

"I'm not yet twenty-five."

"You are actually close enough to being twenty-five that your age would be overlooked should you chose to accept the regency," the goblin interjected as he eyed both humans. "Given the dwindling numbers of purebloods due to the high rate of inbreeding amongst the elite; aside from Dumbledore (who is the current regent for the Houses of Potter and Black) you are actually the only one that would qualify to take over the regency outside of Amos Diggory, Xenophilius Lovegood, or Lucius Malfoy. Additionally, your oaths to Gringotts would offer you a measure of protection and anonymity that any other applicant would not have."

"Please, Bill?" Harry pleaded. "I don't know the first thing about managing one estate, let alone three, and the last thing I want is to hand over the control of my estates to one of Voldemort's Death Eaters or someone I don't really know and I've already caused enough pain for the Diggorys."

"Fine," Bill relented with a sigh.

"Thank you, Bill."

The following two hours were then spent signing the paperwork that would finalize Harry's emancipation, remove Dumbledore as regent to the Houses of Potter and Black, install Bill as the new regent for the Potter, Black, and Evans families, and authorize a complete audit for all three of Harry's estates. After that, the three of them went through the boxes of things that Hogwarts had felt Harry would need to make a list of items that had not been included; such as food, drinks, potions, potion ingredients, sturdy clothes, comfortable boots, camping equipment, and a pack to carry everything in. Bill was then sent off to make the necessary purchases while Harry sat down with the goblin to establish a new identity for the teen.

Harry's new passport, identification card, emancipation documents, birth certificate, academic records, immunization records, and medical history bearing the name James Evans on them were completed right about the same time as Bill returned from Diagon Alley carrying several bags. The goblin (whose name Harry had still not been given) then left to withdraw several thousand galleons from Harry's vaults and exchange two thirds of the money withdrawn into several different types of currency while Bill helped Harry organize his things in the five compartment pack-trunk that Bill had purchased for him.

The trunk itself was two feet tall, a foot and a half wide, six inches deep, and carved from high quality walnut with bronze dragon hide shoulder straps and a matching belt that allowed it to be worn on one's back. A set of retractable bronze dragon hide straps allowed him to tie the economy-sized magical tent that Bill had purchased for him onto the bottom of the pack where it would be easy to access. There was also a hidden handle on the left side of the trunk that could be pulled out to make carrying the trunk easier when it was not being used in pack form.

A series of spells cast upon both trunk and straps offered the wearer comfort, protected the trunk (and the trunk's contents) from weather damage and rough treatment, and maintained the weight of the trunk at exactly one and a half stones regardless of what was placed inside. Security Runes had been carved over the surface of the entire trunk (designed to look like decorative carvings) to prevent someone from stealing the trunk or any of the trunk's contents once Harry's blood had been used to activate them. Additionally, the five compartments were further charmed with Undetectable Extension Charms, No-Spill Charms, and a number of other specialized spells to protect the contents of each compartment.

The first compartment was accessed through the top of the trunk (when in pack mode) by lifting the top inch of the pack up. The compartment itself was designed to hold clothes with added charms to prevent mildew from growing on damp clothes, keep out any of the pests that were known to dine on fabrics, and keep the compartment smelling fresh no matter how long dirty clothes were stored inside. Harry tucked all of his hand-me-down clothes and robes in the very bottom of that compartment with his Weasley sweaters, winter cloak, and the rest of his school uniforms going in next and the new clothes Bill had purchased for him were placed on the very top.

The second compartment was accessed by opening the trunk vertically from the top to reveal two sub-sections. The sub-section on the bottom was designed to hold dishes, silverware, cooking utensils, pots, and pans. A number of charms had been woven over that compartment to prevent the dishes from rattling together and cracking or chipping as well as spells to clean and sanitize the dishes each time they were returned to the trunk. It currently held a complete tea service, a brand new set of white ceramic dinnerware, silverware, steak knives, glasses, mugs, cloth napkins, and place mats enough for ten people (which was kind of odd since there was only one of him). There was also a single set of tin camping dishes, a set of cast iron cookware, an assortment of baking pans, a set of stainless steel pots and pans, a trio of ceramic casserole dishes, a wide assortment of cooking and serving utensils, and a number of ceramic serving dishes.

The top sub-section of the compartment was further divided into three sections and dedicated to food storage. All three sections had Stasis Charms and Temperature Regulation Charms placed on them to prevent any of the food placed in them from going bad. The topmost section was maintained at room temperature for storing dried and canned goods, the middle section was kept at four degrees Celsius for those items that required refrigeration, and the last section was set to negative eighteen degrees Celsius for those foods that were best kept frozen (like ice cream). Harry soon had all three sections of that compartment filled with enough food, drinks, snacks, and treats to feed a family of ten for half a year; all of which Bill had purchased for him. He'd later add an assortment of goblin snacks, treats, and candies courtesy of Bill's supervisor.

The third section of the trunk also opened vertically to reveal two sub-sections, only it opened from the bottom instead of the top. Similar to the second compartment where his dishes and cookware were stored, the bottom compartment had spells in place to keep things from rattling around and was designed to hold his potions equipment. The top section had also been spelled with Stasis Charms and Temperature Regulation Charms like its counterpart, however that was where the similarities ended as this sub-section had been lined with shelves that would hold potion ingredients and completed potions. The potions were organized by type (healing potions, antidotes and poisons, enhancement potions, defensive and offensive potions, and prank potions). The ingredients had also been categorized by both type and preparation (fresh and dried plants, animal and insect parts in different states, and inorganic materials in whole, crushed, or powdered forms).

The fourth compartment of the trunk opened up from the left side of the trunk and held two matching sub-sections that each contained a four shelf bookshelf. The entire compartment was intended to be a portable library and as such it was spelled with a number of protective charms and wards that were designed to protect the books from damage. A Resizing Spell had also been cast on each shelf in order to reduce the size of each book as it was shelved in order to increase the amount of books that could be held on each shelf (roughly fifty books per shelf depending on the thickness of the books placed upon the shelf). Additionally, books that were pulled from the shelves would automatically be restored to their full size the moment they left the Resizing Spell's space.

The fifth and final compartment opened up from the right side of the trunk. The left sub-section of the compartment had the same spells and wards as the library compartment, was designed to hold writing materials, had additional space for books, and came with a matching removable lap desk. The other sub-section of that compartment was a generic storage space for those items that did not require any special care during transportation or for prolonged storage. This was also the section of the trunk where most of the items Harry received from Hogwarts were placed (the navigational equipment, the bulk of the training equipment, and the various artifacts that the spirit of the school thought he might need; which included Gryffindor's Sword to Harry's mild surprise).

Harry had just finished transferring the last of the books he'd been given into the library compartment (including the ones that Bill had purchased for him on estate management, basic accounting, and wizarding traditions) when the goblin returned carrying a mokeskin pouch that contained Harry's money and a box holding an assortment of goblin delicacies and potions. The goblin took the time to show Harry how to key the pouch to his blood so that no one else would be able to remove anything from inside of it before he handed it over to the teen. Harry thanked the goblin and promptly placed the rest of his valuables into the secure pouch; his invisibility cloak, his Firebolt, his photo album, and his identification papers (both the original documents for his birth name and the new set created for his alter ego; James Evans) before pulling the cord over his head so he could wear the pouch around his neck.

"Curse Breaker Weasley, did you obtain an owl to provide a secure method of communication for Mr. Potter?" the goblin inquired as he retook his seat behind the desk after taking note of the empty boxes stacked in the corner that were waiting to be disposed.

"No, sir; Harry has a snowy owl."

"Hedwig is gone; Dumbledore said he got rid of her back in September because she was causing him trouble and from the way he said it, I think he had her killed. I don't really want another owl though, it would feel too much like I was betraying her memory," Harry interjected as something twisted inside of him over the thought of trying to replace the beautiful owl he'd considered his dearest friend and companion for the past four years. "I recently bonded with a house elf…"

"House elves are not permitted to enter the hallowed halls of Gringotts," the goblin countered before Harry could even finish his last sentence. "If you are not interested in procuring another owl, then would you consider purchasing a pair of messenger hawks to carry your correspondence instead?"

"A hawk? I didn't know there were trained hawks in the wizarding world. I've never seen anyone use anything other than owls to deliver the post."

"Few wizards in Great Britain or Western Europe choose to use hawks because they are relatively temperamental birds that require far more care and training than an owl. On top of that, most hawks, kites, and eagles are diurnal birds while owls are usually, but not always, nocturnal birds; meaning that an owl carrying a message would be less likely to be seen than a hawk. There is also the fact that muggles were the first to raise and train the smaller hawk breeds for hunting and sport in addition to teaching them to carry messages and most wizards hate to be reminded that they basically copied the idea from a group of individuals that they see as beneath them. That is most especially true of the English community due to the influence of the traditionalist purebloods."

"Can you tell me more about the similarities and differences between a messenger hawk and a postal owl?" Harry asked curiously.

"The magical offspring of both species of birds are born with the ability to recognize and trace the magical signatures of people, places, and things; that ability is what allows them to pinpoint the recipient of the missive they carry, how they navigate between destinations, and track their owners across country. However, hawks have the capacity to memorize twice the number of magical signatures. Additionally, hawks can travel during the daylight hours without attracting the same kind of attention that an owl would, they can travel longer distances (as I mentioned earlier), and the larger species can carry nearly twice the weight as an owl of the same size."

"Where would I buy one?"

"Gringotts breeds and raises several different species and occasionally sell newly mated or working pairs to clients that travel outside of the country regularly or that have personal and business contacts outside of Britain."

"Why do you only sell them in pairs?"

"Since hawks are mainly used for long distance deliveries, it is best to keep two of them so that you will have a greater chance of having one of them on hand if you need to send out an urgent letter. It also means that there is less of a chance of your bird dying of exhaustion due to being forced to travel long distances with little to no rest in between deliveries."

"Oh, that actually makes perfect sense."

"Did you wish to purchase a pair of hawks then?"

"I guess."

"Perfect, do you have any preferences in regards to species or gender?"

"Er… no, not really."

"That will make it easier for me to pick out a suitable pair; did you wish to purchase any supplies for your new hawks at the same time?"

"Yes, please; I don't have any supplies at all for any pets other than my… missing owl, so I'll need everything the birds will require like traveling cages, perches, treats, food, a book or guide on how to properly care for them, and anything else you'd recommend I have on hand for them."

"Of course," the goblin replied as he filled out a purchase order for the birds and the requested supplies. "Which estate do you wish me to bill the purchases to?"

"Um… Evans, I guess; since you pulled the cash from the Black vault and Bill used the Potter vault to pay for the things he bought for me."

The goblin made another note on the purchase order before he held it out to Bill as he ordered, "Curse Breaker Weasley; please hand this off to goblin hawk handler on duty and ask him to see that the order is filled immediately and brought to my office within the next three hours."

"Yes, sir."

"While we are waiting for your purchases to be delivered, we have one final matter that needs to be addressed before Curse Breaker Weasley escorts you to Portsmouth."

"Er, why Portsmouth?"

"That is where the ship you will be boarding is currently docked. I took the liberty of forwarding your application to the Hunter Association's Examination Committee and booking your passage to the examination site while you were packing your supplies."

"Oh, thank you for explaining, sir," Harry replied as he finally drew the connection between Fawkes's references to hunting and the goblin's earlier reference to Harry becoming a Hunter; the teen previously thinking of hunting in terms of game hunting for sport.

"Now that we have cleared that up; we need to discuss what you intend to do about the conversation you overheard between Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, the verbalized threats directed at you that they spoke of, and of the harm they have potentially caused you over your lifetime. The bindings that had been placed upon you would be enough to have Dumbledore thrown in Azkaban if you could convince the Wizengamot to prosecute and convict him. His former status as the regent to two of your Family Houses and subsequent betrayal will also reflect negatively upon him. The blood link he'd established between you and at least one other would be more than enough to see him kissed."

"Blood link?"

"Dark magic involving one unwilling sacrifice, one willing sacrifice, and the blood of an innocent that binds the victim (called the bound) to one or more individuals (called the bonded). The link then allows the bonded to siphon magic from the bound in addition to allowing them to influence the bound's mind by sending him or her visions, nightmares, and mental suggestions. Curse Breaker Weasley transferred the link to the golem we made to take your place to prevent Dumbledore from discovering your defection too soon."

"When did you do that?"

"While you were sleeping off the effects of having multiple bindings removed. The golem has already been returned to Hogwarts and by the time the Blood Link siphons off the last of the magic tied to the construct, you'll be long gone from these shores; so you need not worry about your absence being remarked upon any time soon. Now, have you given any thought to how you'd like to deal with the things that have been done to you?"

"One memory isn't going to be enough for Fudge to go up against Dumbledore on my behalf though, especially not one of my memories; otherwise my godfather would not still be a wanted criminal despite the fact that I have proof that he is innocent of the crimes he of which he'd been accused. Fudge would need to see proof; solid proof that couldn't easily be swept under the rug. Even then, I doubt he'd take me seriously given the fact that he now thinks that I'm a disturbed nutter because of the whole Voldemort reborn fiasco."

"Do you wish to initiate an investigation in order to acquire said proof, Mr. Evans?"

"As your newly appointed regent, I would advise you to say yes," Bill quietly suggested as he returned in time to hear the goblin's question. "So long as Dumbledore retains even a single shred of power, you will be unsafe here in England once Dumbledore learns that you discovered his plans for you. The sooner we unearth enough dirt to pull Dumbledore down off his pedestal, the sooner we can neutralize him so that he can't hurt you or any one else anymore."

"Alright," Harry agreed after thinking about it for several minutes.

"We'll need to start by copying your memories of Dumbledore; especially those where he spoke directly to you or to someone else within your hearing."

Harry nodded even as he focused on his first ever memory of Dumbledore from the night of the Start of Term Feast from his first year at Hogwarts. It would take close to two hours to copy the high number of memories involving Dumbledore from the past four years in addition to all of those involving Harry's yearly misadventures, his less than civil interactions with Snape, and his encounters with the Dark Lord or his servants. He also provided several memories from his pre-Hogwarts years and his summers with the Dursleys.

By the time the final memory had been copied (Harry's meeting with Fawkes and Sortilegus), Harry was feeling wrung out both from the process of copying the memories and from having to relive each memory he was asked to bring forward to be copied.

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**Notes:**

Stone – when used as a unit of measurement for weight, one stone is equal to fourteen pounds. So, one and a half stones would be equal to twenty-one pounds; a rather moderate weight for one to carry upon his or her back and comparable to carrying a toddler or young child on one's back or shoulders.

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	3. Duties x and x Decisions

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Three: Duties x and x Decisions

Harry had just finished drinking another cup of Mulled Stone's Blood to wash away the mental exhaustion brought on by the extraction of so many copied memories when a pair of goblins arrived carrying his newly purchased messenger hawks and supplies. The moment Harry saw the birds that had been selected; his jaw practically hit the floor due to them being far larger and far more majestic than he'd expected (the teen had pictured something more along the lines of a pair of merlins or falcons and not the eagles that had been selected).

Both birds were roughly ninety centimeters long, had a wingspan that was easily two meters, and weighed between eight and ten pounds. Their head, chest, belly, thighs, half of the underside of their wings, and the last two to three inches of their tail feathers were solid white while the back of their wings, their flight feathers, the rest of their tails, and backs were a uniform slate-gray that contrasted with their white bodies. They had dark gray (almost black) beaks and talons, featherless lower legs and feet that were covered with tiny dark yellow-gray scales, and their eyes were a dark amber that appeared to be more brown than yellow and filled with unmistakable intelligence. Harry thought they were absolutely perfect despite not being what he'd expected – though his heart ached at what it saw as a betrayal of Hedwig's memory.

"Beautiful creatures, are they not?" Bill's supervisor inquired when he noticed Harry's reaction to the birds.

"They are gorgeous," Harry agreed once he'd schooled his face. "What species of eagle are they? They are eagles, right? Not hawks?"

"Yes, you are correct; they are white-bellied sea eagles. Their non-magical cousins are predominately found living near riverbanks and other large bodies of water along the coasts of India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and Australia. They are highly prized within the goblin nation for their intelligence, fierce nature, strength, and loyalty. The pair I had selected for you is comprised of two three year old unmated males that worked well together during their training. Since you are fairly young and will be traveling for an indeterminate amount of time, I thought it best not to saddle you with a mated pair because you will not be staying in one place long enough for a female to hatch and raise her chicks. They will also have no trouble hunting their own meals during your voyage as they are excellent fishers."

"Will they eat other prey besides fish?"

"Yes; they will eat aquatic snakes, eels, and sea turtles as well as the occasional bird or rodent and have been known to attack and take prey as large as a swan. They have also been known to feed on carrion from time to time."

"What would you recommend offering them as a treat? Do either of them have a preferred prey? And does either male have a name yet?"

"I included a box of Hawker's Treats with the supplies you requested for the birds; the treats are made from whole river trout no longer than six inches that have been smoked and filled with an ounce of crystallized Stone's Blood each. If they have a preferred prey, it is currently unknown as we do not monitor their diets that closely due to the number of birds we raise each year. And no, neither bird has been named; naming a messenger hawk is part of the owner's duty and one of the two methods used to initiate the ownership bond with the bird or birds in question."

"I guess that means I'll need to research a pair of fitting names for them then," Harry mused as he climbed to his feet and approached the goblin carrying both birds.

Harry and the two birds inspected each other in turn for several minutes before Harry fearlessly offered his arm to the slightly larger male and braced himself as the bird climbed up onto his arm. Ignoring the bite of the talons digging into his flesh, Harry reached up to stroke the bird's breast before gently pumping his arm to coax the bird into spreading his wings so he could inspect his flight feathers. Harry then praised the eagle softly as he shifted him up to his shoulder so that he could inspect the other male; making a mental note to pick up a leather gauntlet and shoulder guard to protect himself from their talons.

While he inspected the second male, the first male took to preening Harry's hair (much like Hedwig used to do) and Harry felt a brief pang of anger and pain over the loss of his beloved feathered friend. He quickly suppressed his negative feelings (least he upset either of the fierce birds currently perched upon his person) and focused entirely on his new pair of majestic messenger hawks. Despite hawks and eagles being considered rather temperamental birds that were difficult to tame (if easy to train), the pair currently perched on his shoulder and arm radiated calmness and confidence as they patiently put up with Harry's inspections.

Examination complete, Harry wandered back over to his chair and shifted both birds onto the back of the chair so that he could take the box of food and supplies he'd purchased alongside of the two eagles from the other goblin. Harry thanked both goblins for their services before he packed the new supplies into the fifth compartment of his trunk with the writing supplies since the hawks were intended to be his couriers. Once everything was stored away, he grabbed a couple of the Hawker's Treats before he closed the trunk and offered both males a treat at the same time. Harry smothered a snicker of amused disbelief when the pair begged like a pair of fledglings and let out calls that sounded more like the honking of a pair of geese instead of the expected screeching cries of an eagle.

"Do they meet with your approval, Mr. Evans?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied sincerely as he tore his eyes away from the two birds while suppressing his grief for Hedwig's loss once more. "They weren't what I pictured in my mind when you first mentioned messenger hawks but then again, I was never very good at using my imagination. Anyway, thank you for everything, sir; I really appreciate you helping me."

"You're welcome, Mr. Evans; it has been a pleasurably profitable day for my clan," the goblin stated as he offered Harry a fierce smirk. "If you need our services again, do not hesitate to contact me through Curse Breaker Weasley."

"I will, sir."

"Grab your trunk and collect your new friends, Harry; it's time for me to take you to Portsmouth," Bill instructed as the goblin promptly began ignoring them now that their business had been completed.

Harry quickly shouldered his pack (taking a moment to adjust the straps and belt so that the pack sat comfortably on his back and wouldn't shift needlessly when he walked) before moving the larger male up to sit on his shoulder while he cradled the other male in his arms to balance their weight. He then followed Bill out of his supervisor's office as the older wizard led him through a maze of tunnels that soon had the teen completely lost. When they finally emerged from the warren of corridors some two hours later, Harry was more than a little shocked to find that they were no longer in Diagon Alley or even anywhere near London.

"Where are we, Bill?" Harry asked in confusion as he glanced around at the unfamiliar city they'd ended up in and caught a hint of salt water on the breeze before he turned around to take in the abandoned shack that they'd just exited.

"We're in Portsmouth. The Gringotts' tunnel network runs beneath the entire island and have transport portals installed at each tunnel crossing; allowing the goblins to travel below ground to almost anywhere on the island in a relatively short amount of time. The mining carts could have gotten us here faster but those are restricted to employees only unless you get special dispensation from one of the Gringotts Directors or Managers. Go ahead and let your feathered friends stretch their wings while there is still daylight and we'll grab something to eat before I deliver you to the captain of the vessel you'll be traveling on."

"You heard the man, gentlemen; go terrorize the local seagulls and meet me at the docks later," Harry instructed as he tossed the eagle he'd been cradling in his arms into the air while the one sitting half on his shoulder and half on his pack launched itself into the air at the same time.

Bill snorted and shook his head over Harry telling his eagles to attack the local bird populations before leading the teen to a small hole-in-the-wall seafood restaurant not far from the run down shack that hid the hidden entrance to the goblin tunnels. After placing their orders, Bill directed Harry towards one of the corner booths and put up a discreet privacy ward to prevent their conversation from being overheard.

"We have about two hours before you need to board the ship," Bill stated as he propped his elbows on the table. "That gives us more than enough time to discuss what kind of a relationship we're going to have as regent and heir and what duties you wish for me to fulfill while I am overseeing your estates for you."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked with a slight frown as he absently fiddled with an unwrapped straw.

"While your status as an emancipated minor grants you the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as an adult; you are still a minor. As such, my position as your regent means that I am the closest thing to a guardian you have right now since your godfather is on the run and currently under Dumbledore's influence. The question is; how much of a guardian do you want me to be for you? I can be nothing more than your employee with my duties solely revolving around insuring that all three of your estates are running smoothly and making you a profit. I can be something of a mentor and guide or father figure for you; overseeing your magical education and training in addition to running your estates. Or I can be something in between those two extremes."

"I don't think I could ever treat you like an employee; your family means too much to me to do something like that and I've heard far too many stories from Ron and the twins about you. At the same time, I don't want to replace Sirius. I know I don't know him any better than I know you and he can't exactly do anything to help me right now thanks to Dumbledore and Fudge but he's the closest thing to a father I've ever had. I also don't want to offend you or ask you to do more than you're willing to do."

"So, you'd prefer something in between then."

"Yeah."

"That is actually about what I expected you to say based upon what I've learned about you from my siblings and from what little I've learned the few times you and I have crossed paths," Bill stated as he leaned back and temporarily dropped the privacy ward so the waitress could deliver their food and drinks. He restored the ward the moment she left before he continued the conversation, "And for the record, I'm willing to help you in any way I can to repay everything that you've done for my family over the past four years. The only reason why I was hesitant to accept the regency when you first asked was because I barely qualify and have no real experience managing an estate; though my grandfather had seen to it that I had the training I would need when it came time for me to take his place as the Head of House Weasley. Our family just doesn't have the same assets or history that all three of yours do."

Harry nodded in understanding, the fourteen year old at a loss for words in how to respond to that. The two of them sat in companionable silence for several minutes as they sprinkled vinegar over their breaded fish and chips before digging into their food. Once they'd taken the edge off of their hunger, Bill picked up where he'd left off.

"The next thing we need to discuss is how you'd like to handle your post. While your new messenger hawks are fully capable of delivering anything you write personally…"

"They are a bit flashy and will draw a lot of attention because they are not owls," Harry finished with a slight grimace.

"That is unfortunately true; however, there are several ways we can work around that. One way would be to have your incoming post redirected through Gringotts London and screened before it is sent to you via hawk with your replies being sent back to Gringotts where they would be sent off for delivery to their intended recipients by owl. Another way would be to purchase an Owl Post Box to do the same basic thing; only the Owl Post Offices do not offer screening services to protect you from potentially harmful letters or packages. You could potentially use your house elf to make deliveries but he'd be just as obvious as your eagles. The last thing you could do is a full communications black out; meaning you don't send anything to anyone outside of myself or Gringotts."

"The first option sounds the most appealing; if only to prevent howlers from reaching me or getting letters like the one that Hermione got when she ended up covered in bubotuber pus because of Skeeter's stupid article last year. And because my friends would never forgive me if I refused to write to them at all."

"They'll also scan for harmful curses and portkeys," Bill added as he winced in response to the comment on Hermione's experience. "I'll set everything up when I return to London. That should also prevent the winged golem from tracking you now that the tracking charms have all been removed from you and your things."

"Hed… the golem was supposed to be locked up most of the summer; so it probably won't be seen much."

"True but they may try to use it to find you once they learn you've vanished. You won't have to worry about that for quite some time though," Bill assured him before he changed the subject. "What are you planning to do with the house elf you said you'd bonded?"

"Er, I don't know yet. I'm pretty sure that Fawkes said he'd send Dobby to me after I left the country."

"That's good; elf magic can be traced almost as easily as apparation and portkeys, especially if you send another elf to track him or her. You do know that you won't be able to keep your elf with you at all times though, right? You're going to be surrounded by muggles from the moment you board the ship and they'll ask far too many questions if they see him hanging about. In the event of an emergency, he'd be able to get in touch with you quickly and if your life is in danger, he can transport you out of harms way in a pinch. He'll grow bored if you don't give him something to do though."

"Do you think he could help you manage my estates? I mean, there's bound to be property attached to one of the estates right? He could, I don't know; maybe clean them up and make them livable again if they've been empty for long. If that isn't possible, then I suppose I could have him continue working at Hogwarts to spy on Dumbledore and Snape as well as keep an eye on my friends to make certain Dumbledore doesn't harm them because I ran."

"Both of those are excellent ideas and better than anything I was going to suggest. It is possible that some of the properties you inherited already have elves maintaining them as family elves are sometimes bound to the land instead of to a person to prevent the elves from going insane when their current master dies and before their new master takes control of their bond. Having another elf around to help deal with any elf related complications would be helpful and few wizards ever take notice of house elves so they would actually make excellent spies."

"They are also crafty little buggers that know how to wriggle through the smallest of loopholes if you ever make them unhappy. Dobby defied Mr. Malfoy in an attempt to warn me about the basilisk and everything that happened in mine and Ron's second year. I tricked Malfoy into freeing Dobby to repay the favor and then promptly asked him to never again try to save my life since he nearly killed me with a bludger once; hoping I'd leave Hogwarts if I got hurt seriously enough."

"Ron told me about that… wasn't that the same elf that locked the two of you out of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and led to the two of you taking dad's car to Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, I wonder if that car is still running wild in the Forbidden Forest."

"Most likely based upon what Ron told me about the personality it developed," Bill chortled as he finished off the last of his soda. "Anyway, you can't send your elf to me at Gringotts due to the bad blood between the two species but if you can give him permission to answer my call, then I will call him at the first opportunity I have to make arrangements with him to look into your various properties."

"I can do that and I'll also give permission to Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins to call on him as well. Speaking of the twins… did you know that they plan to open a joke store?"

"I was vaguely aware of their dreams to do so; why?"

"I was thinking about giving them the money from the Tri-Wizard Tournament because I don't want or need it. I tried to give it to the Diggorys because I still believe that Cedric was the true winner of the Tournament along with being Hogwarts' one true champion but they refused to accept it when they came to thank me for… for bringing his… him back. Do you think you could… I don't know, help them somehow?"

"Are you asking me personally or are you asking me as your regent to offer them funding on your behalf?"

"The second; I don't know if they'd accept money from me because all Weasleys are proud (which I can respect) but they have been good friends to me since I joined the Quidditch team in first year. They are also smart and talented and the stuff they've invented is cool and I think we'll need all the laughter we can get now that Voldemort is back."

"Who do you want me to tell them is looking to invest in their shop?"

Harry gave Bill a smirk worthy of the twins as he replied, "Tell them the Son of Prongs is impressed with their pranks and wishes to help them achieve lasting greatness. If they pester you for a name, you can give them my alias so that they won't know it's me; I owe them a prank or two."

"Won't Dumbledore recognize the name though?"

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it; according to the documents that your supervisor forged for me, I'm the seventeen year old bastard son of my grandfather's unacknowledged bastard son that only recently discovered his magical inheritance due to growing up in an orphanage after my underage teenaged mum gave me up for adoption just seconds after my birth. I guess that means I'm my own cousin now. All I have to do is grow my hair out a bit and bleach it a few shades lighter and I'll look different enough that I won't be easily recognized; especially considering the fact that I no longer have that cursed lightning bolt scar."

"If you spend most of your voyage on the deck, the sun should bleach your hair lighter and give you a halfway decent tan; providing you don't turn lobster red and freckle like us Weasleys do."

"Your supervisor said almost the same thing… speaking of your supervisor; why didn't he ever introduce himself? It was weird not knowing his name."

"Goblins will never offer their name to an individual that they consider as weaker than themselves and most goblins consider wizards and witches as the weakest of all creatures regardless of how powerful they are magically; they believe giving their names to the weak weakens them and their magic. I'm actually surprised he deigned to call you Mr. Evans on a number of occasions instead of just addressing you as 'human' like he normally would when interacting with any human not employed with the bank."

"Really? Then why did the teller that saw me and Hagrid that first year tell us the name of the goblin that took us down to my vault?"

"Probably to humiliate the goblin in question and make certain he knows his place. Best to forget you ever heard his name because if you address him by name the next time you see him, he'll resent you even more for remembering that which you didn't earn the privilege to know and he's liable to stab you in the back (both literally and figuratively speaking) if ever given the opportunity."

"Oh, I didn't know that. Why doesn't Binns teach us that kind of information in History of Magic, instead of droning on and on about the various goblin rebellions or the giant wars?"

"I don't have an answer to that as I didn't learn goblin etiquette until I started my apprenticeship at the bank."

"Will you get into trouble for passing on that information to me?"

"No, I was given permission to teach my brothers how to properly interact with goblins since it would reflect badly upon me if my family created social blunders each time they entered the bank. Since I accepted the position as your regent, it is expected that I will extend those lessons to you for pretty much the same reason. I will also be expected to teach you diplomacy, politics, and estate management in order to prepare you for the day you take control of your Houses from me at some point in the future; that was why I purchased you the books I did. It's nice to know that I won't have to teach you proper manners and etiquette though."

"Aunt Petunia was very strict with me; if I didn't behave appropriately or if I embarrassed the family in any way, then I was punished. It was actually pretty easy to know what was expected of me; I was never allowed to do anything that Dudley was. Not that I would want to be like Dudley, anyway," Harry stated matter-of-factly before he changed the topic. "What other duties did you need to discuss?"

Bill gave him a look that let him know he wasn't fooled by the shift in subjects even as he answered, "There are a couple of things… first; how much guidance did you want from me in regards to your education outside of what you will need to know before you accept full responsibility of your estates?"

"I don't know; Hogwarts gave me a ton of books and stuff to help me with that but I haven't really had a chance to look at any of it yet."

"If you'd like, I can provide you with a guide for what you will need to know to pass your O.W.L.s this time next year and answer your questions whenever you get stuck on something. That will give you plenty of freedom to study at your own pace and study those extra subjects that you wish to study."

"That doesn't sound too bad… you aren't going to make me write a bunch of essays, are you?

"Absolutely not!" Bill quickly assured Harry as his eyes bugged out. "The last thing I want is to have to read and correct a bunch of homework again now that that I'm out of Hogwarts."

Harry snickered and nearly snorted soda up his nose the moment he saw the look on the older wizard's face. He was still grinning a minute later when he asked, "So what exactly would be on the guideline?"

"It will basically be a rough guide of the spells and theories that covered on the O.W.L. Exams and a list of those spells that will earn you extra credit in the wanded subjects. The O.W.L. Exams haven't been changed or updated in over forty years, so my notes from when I was in my fifth year will be adequate enough to base the guide from or I can snag Percy's notes since his were probably more extensive than mine. I can also give you a list of the books you will need for each subject and if you don't have them, I'll purchase them for you and send them to you with a hawk."

"How will I take my exams though? I mean, it's not like I can just waltz into Hogwarts after skiving off for the entire year and expect to be allowed to sit my exams."

"Once you think that you're ready to take the exams, you can let me know and I will make arrangements through the Wizarding Examinations Authority for you to take them at the testing facility that is closest to wherever you are at the time. If I contact the board now and put forward your application to independently take the O.W.L.s, then we'd be able to get you in faster depending on where you are and how far you are from the nearest facility. That would also firmly establish you as an independent student sooner rather than later and help back up your back story of only recently being introduced to your magical heritage. They may even send you study material in order to help prepare you for the exams."

"That would probably be helpful. Are there a lot of witches and wizards out there that are taught at home?"

"Yes, roughly two out of every three magicals within Britain are either tutored by a parent or relative, teach themselves around their work schedules, or take an Owl Post Course (commonly referred to as OPC). Only those with a power rating of five hundred or higher and whose parents can afford the tuition are invited to attend Hogwarts. Then there are the legacy students that automatically receive a spot regardless of their power rating (providing they aren't classed as squibs); students whose families have been attending Hogwarts for two or more generations or have a family sitting on the Board of Governors. And finally, there are a limited number of scholarships offered to promising halfbloods and muggleborns whose power ratings are seven hundred or higher."

"How do they measure one's power rating?" Harry asked curiously as it was something he'd never even heard of before.

"There are several ways; the first is through a diagnostic spell when a magical child is born or is first examined by a healer (which is inaccurate since a child's core will grow over time and the spell is ineffective on mature wizards because their cores are too large to register properly). The second is through the network of magical sensors spread throughout the country that monitor outbursts of accidental magic or large discharges of intentional magic; that is how most muggleborns are discovered. Another way, is to use a specialized rune based ward that measures the power ratings of everyone that passed through the ward line; Ollivander's has one around his shop as he needs to know the power rating of his customers in order to get an idea of which woods and cores will best suit each person."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"I pretty much said the same thing when I first studied the wards covering the various stores in Diagon Alley as part of my apprenticeship as a Curse Breaker. There are only two other ways to measure a person's power rating; one is to have the individual cast their most powerful spell at a Rating Orb but this method is the least accurate method of rating a wizard's magic since the wand being used can skew the results (that is especially true when the wand is a poor match for the wizard using it). And the final method is to perform a Goblin Inheritance test; this method is the least utilized (due to the blood involved) despite it being the most accurate method of determining a witch or wizard's full potential."

"How does that work?"

"The Inheritance Stones are not just random blocks of stone, they are specially crafted artifacts made by goblin artisans deep within the bowels of Gringotts. I've never been allowed to study one of the stones, so I don't really know all that much about how they are made or how they work, but from what I've learned over the years, the stones measure the size, strength, and density of a person's magical core by creating a feedback loop between the stone and the person through his or her blood. The person's power rating is then calculated based upon the length of time it takes for test to run its full course, the amount of change the stone undergoes through the testing process, the highest temperature the stone reaches during the process (including how quickly that temperature is reached and how long it is maintained during the process), and the level of magic present within the person's blood at the end of the test. That information is all logged on the stone through the same spells and wards that determine your magical ancestry."

"It sounds rather complex."

"It is; the arithmancy involved is beyond even my current level of mastery," Bill admitted with a wry grin.

"Almost makes me wish I'd have taken Arithmancy as one of my electives instead of letting Ron talk me into taking Divination but at the same time it makes me glad I didn't because I can well imagine the headaches it would have caused me. I can't help but be curious about what my power rating might have been though."

"It was over fifteen hundred but I have no clue what the exact number is since I wasn't privy to that knowledge," Bill quietly stated as he studied Harry with an unreadable look. "The stone you used in your test was transformed into obsidian and melted into a tablet in less than ten minutes; it takes a power level of at least nine hundred to alter the shape of the Inheritance Stone over the course of an hour and a level of at least twelve hundred to alter the crystal structure of the original stone over the same period of time. Your magic generated temperatures comparative to that of an active volcano almost the instant you began the test and maintained that temperature for over ten minutes as the tablet didn't cool until after it had become separated from your magic."

"But I've never been that strong! I've always had to struggle with even the simplest spells."

"I would imagine that the bindings that had been placed on you were part of the reason why you found it so difficult to perform the various spells that you were taught. It wouldn't surprise me if removing those bindings created a flood effect in your core which would have boosted your power levels either temporarily or permanently. The only way to know for certain would be to have you retested in a year's time to see if there are any changes in your power levels. The fact that you are still so young will play a factor in your power levels too, as your magic has not matured; meaning that you could potentially grow stronger over the next eleven years."

"Eleven? But I'll be seventeen in three years…"

"Reaching the age of majority is not the same as reaching magical maturity; a wizard's core won't settle until he reaches his twenty-fifth birthday. In other words, once a wizard reaches age twenty-five his magic is as strong as it will ever be and there is no more room for growth or change. That doesn't mean that he has reached his full potential, just that his full potential has been set."

"Oh. That was something else I didn't know."

"It is not something that is taught at Hogwarts; my siblings and I were taught wizarding traditions on the knee of our grandfather as soon as we reached age five. We've gotten far off track though and we don't have much time left before you need to be at the docks. Luckily, there are only a couple of other things we need to discuss. First; how much leeway are you willing to give me in regards to your investments? Do you want me to just maintain and monitor the current investments once the audits have been completed or do you want me to get rid of those investments that are either making you no money or costing you money and add new investments?"

"I don't know… maybe start by just monitoring and maintaining the investments for now and do research on the ones that went bad to find out why they went bad before deciding to cut my losses? I don't like the idea of losing money but I also don't want someone else to suffer because we cut off their only income due to things out of their control; such as poor decisions made by Dumbledore. Oh, and don't forget to invest in the twins' joke shop; you can use all three estates because my godfather would want to encourage another generation of pranksters. If we can get him out from under Dumbledore's thumb, I bet Sirius would have tons of great ideas he'd be willing to let the twins use too."

"I won't forget about Fred and George; I'll be seeing them in a couple of days and can approach them then. I will also deal with the rest of the investments accordingly and keep you updated on my findings so that you can be involved in the decision making process. That actually ties in with the last item we needed to discuss. How often would you like me to send you reports on your estates and investments?"

"Um… once a month, unless something urgent comes up? That way I don't tire out my new eagles."

"That would be acceptable as it gives me plenty of time in between reports to get other things done. Would you be opposed to sending me regular updates in return?"

"Reports on what?"

"The places you've been to or where you are going so at least one person knows where you are in case of an emergency and so I will know where you are in relation to the world wide testing centers when it comes times to schedule your O.W.L. Exams. I also would like to have a progress report on your training every now and then to make certain you aren't stuck or slacking off too much."

"I think I can do that."

"Perfect, let's toss out our rubbish and get you to the docks then."

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**Notes:**

Goblin Names – Yeah, I know that a good number of FanFictions out there have the goblins being awed and shocked at having a wizard recognize them and remember their name but I wanted to make the goblin culture in this story a bit different and try to break free from that particular cliché (since I have more than enough other clichés present). In this case, my goblins are not going to be pleased with anyone that remembers their names unless they gave those individuals permission to call them by name and it will take more than mere politeness or common courtesy to gain their respect.

The reaction of Bill's goblin supervisor and his treatment of Harry towards the end of their meeting will be explained later in the story, though I'm sure that most of you can probably guess that it has to do with who Harry is related to and just how much power Harry has at his fingertips. And yes, my Harry is powerful. I'm going to try not to make him god-like but he will be strong; he has to be if he's going to go up against Voldemort, Dumbledore, and all of their little minions at some point in the story. There're also all of the insanely strong Hunters and criminals to consider. =)

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	4. Failed x Intimidation x Tactics

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Four: Failed x Intimidation x Tactics

Harry and Bill arrived at the docks just as the sun was sinking below the horizon and the fourteen year old stared around at the various sail boats, barges, and ships that littered the bay. His attention was soon drawn up to the sky when he recognized the undignified honking call of his new eagles in time to watch what he thought was one of his eagles flip itself upside down to catch hold of a seagull by its feet. The two birds then tumbled towards the water and Harry's heart rose up into his throat as he feared his new eagle would be injured when it crashed only to witness the eagle right itself at the last minute and release the seagull before shooting back up into the sky.

A solid thump was then heard as the seagull crashed into the hull of a ship and Harry palmed his face when he realized that his eagle had just effectively pranked the seagull. Another thump and a chorus of raucous honking let him know that the other male apparently didn't have an ounce of dignity either. Smothered laughter coming from the redhead standing beside him let him know that Bill had witnessed the entire thing as well.

"I'm half tempted to name them Fred and George but I'm certain that that would only make things more confusing in the long run," Harry quipped as he shook his head and glanced up at the still laughing man beside him.

"You did order them to terrorize the local flocks before you turned them loose," Bill laughingly reminded Harry as two more thumps rang out back to back.

"I didn't expect them to be feathered incarnations of your most menacing brothers or I would have been more careful in how I worded my orders."

"Oh, I don't know; it certainly looks and sounds like they are both enjoying themselves," Bill pointed out as yet another pair of thuds rang out followed by the angry cries of more than a few seagulls that were soon drowned out by the twin honking calls of the two Sea Eagles.

Harry huffed and shook his head before he brought his hand up to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle that cut through the noise of the agitated seagulls and caught the attention of the mischievous eagles. The two large birds of prey let out one last honking call (as if to taunt the seagulls further) before they dove down towards Harry; both of them pulling up at the last second to gently land on Harry's outstretched arm and his trunk pack. The two birds immediately began preening themselves with smug superiority as soon as they'd made themselves comfortable on their perches.

"I had originally planned to give you both dignified names befitting the majesty of your species but after that undignified display of amusing antics, I find it impossible to see either of you as anything but pranksters. So, I'm going to call you Flip and Flop instead in honor of your capture and release skills."

Both birds stilled and quietly honked at one another as they inspected Harry closely before they ruffled their feathers and resumed their grooming; the names he'd chosen had been accepted. Harry wondered if he would later regret naming the two birds with such frivolous names. The memory of watching one of the eagles catch hold of a seagull before plunging downwards to 'throw' the seagull into the hull of a ship made him snort; their new names fit them to a tee.

Bill continued to laugh as he led Harry through the maze of docked boats and ships until they reached an old tri-masted, square-rigged carrack that looked as if it had been pulled straight off the pages of a history book. It also brought to mind the ship that the Durmstrang students had arrived at Hogwarts in; though this one appeared to be in far better condition than the Durmstrang ship. Painted in bold black letters on the bow of the ship was the word Kaijinmaru; which Harry assumed was the name of the vessel.

"Ship ahoy!" Bill called out loudly as they came to a stop beside the ship.

Less than a minute later, an old man wearing a captain's hat leaned over the side of the ship and demanded, "Who are you and what business do you have with the Kaijinmaru?"

"My name is William Weasley and I recently booked passage for my charge on your vessel; I'm here to insure he makes it aboard before you set sail," Bill called back as he clapped his hand on Harry's back and pushed him up so that the man could get a clear view of the teen.

"Do the two menaces perched upon your person belong to you, gaki?"

Harry scowled in response to the insult directed to his eagles (despite the fact that he secretly agreed with the man's assessment of the two birds) and the unfamiliar word that he'd been called even as he replied, "Aye, that's right; and they go where I go."

The man appeared taken aback for a moment before he began laughing uproariously as he disappeared from view. Two minutes later, the man reappeared holding a thick bundle of rope and wooden slats and instructed, "Mind your noggins, I'm dropping the ladder!" The man then pushed the bundle over the side of the ship where it unwound to reveal a rope ladder with wood slats for steps. "Climb on aboard you scalawags; so's we can hold a proper conversation without talking over the side of my ship."

"After you, James," Bill insisted as he grinned down at the shorter wizard.

"Scalawags and rapscallions first; so, I guess that means you, Flip and Flop," Harry quipped as he tossed Flip (the smaller of the two males that was once again perched in his arms) into the air before he shooed Flop off his pack to join Flip in the air. "Go find yourselves an out of the way place to sit and behave yourselves."

Freed of his passengers, Harry scuttled up the rope ladder with an ease born from years of practice climbing up flimsy trellises and wobbly picket fences to escape his cousin and his cousin's gang in addition to three years of Quidditch training spent balancing on a thin shaft of wood. It helped that Harry didn't weigh more than six stone due to how much weight he'd lost during the course of the year because of the stress he'd been under after being forced into participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

He reached the top of the ladder in record time and easily tossed himself over the rail to land lightly in the deck; any fear of heights or falling he'd ever had long since fading thanks to the time he'd spent on a broom (and the number of times he'd been knocked off or fallen from one). As he straightened up, Harry took the time to study the man he assumed was the captain of the ship in the last rays of the fading afternoon sun. The man had a white bristle beard and mustache that covered half of his face, the bulbous red nose of a career alcoholic, and a smoking pipe in one hand. He was wearing a red vest trimmed with black and white checkers over a white canvas shirt with a bronze stripe around the neckline, gray breeches, and a pair of brown boots.

By the time he finished his inspection, Bill had joined the two of them on the deck and the older wizard stepped forward to offer his hand to the captain. Harry quickly tuned out the conversation between the two men as he turned his attention to the ship's main deck to study the ship; this was his first time aboard a proper ship after all (the rowboat Uncle Vernon had used to get them to the isolated shack or the ones used to escort the first years across the lake not counting in Harry's mind). His eyes were soon drawn up to take in the rigging lines (that looked more like a tangled mess of ropes to Harry) before his gaze landed upon the crow's nest at the top of the mainmast where both of his eagles were currently perched.

Harry's attention was drawn back to the two men conversing beside them at that point as his ears picked up the sound of his alias being spoken.

"… James in your capable hands," Bill finished and Harry frowned for a moment in confusion before he realized that Bill was getting ready to leave as the wizard turned to address him. "Be careful out there, James, and don't forget to write to me if you need anything at all; even if you just need to vent."

"I will and I won't," Harry replied as he gave the redhead a small smile. "Thank you, for everything, Bill; it means a lot to me that you were willing to hear me out and help with… well, everything really."

"You're welcome, kiddo."

Bill hopped over the side of the ship at that point (ignoring the ladder completely) and Harry rushed to the rail just in time to see the redhead land on the dock. Bill then looked up and waved one last time to Harry before he walked away without looking back and Harry felt a thread of panic race through him over the idea of traveling alone in the company of nothing but strangers before a wave of excitement swept it away as the knowledge that he was nearly free hit him.

He was soon to be free of his overbearing and borderline abusive relatives, free of the choking weight of his fame as the Boy-Who-Lived, and free of Dumbledore's assassination plots.

The fourteen year old let out a whoop of pure joy as he jumped into the air and punched the sky with his fist. He probably would have continued dancing around for a bit if not for the sound of laughter abruptly reminding Harry that he was not alone and he turned to face the captain as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and fought the rising blush that was painting his face red.

"Come on, lad; I'll give you a proper tour of the ship since it's obvious that this is your first time aboard a ship."

Harry spent the next hour dogging the captain's heels as the man gave Harry a complete tour of the ship along with a crash course on ship anatomy and nautical terminology. He also introduced Harry to almost all of the crew (bar those that had not yet returned to the ship and those that were sleeping). The man then showed Harry to the berth where he'd be sleeping alongside a number of other Hunter applicants and left him to stake a claim on a place to sleep after passing along the news that dinner would be served in the ship's mess in a half an hour.

Harry felt only slightly uncomfortable as he studied the various men (and occasional woman) spread out throughout the large room he'd been led to. Most of the other applicants dismissed him as insignificant (and therefore not a threat) and promptly ignored him while the rest either eyed him with open hostility or glee (the former seeing him as an annoyance or a potential rival while the latter saw him as an easy target). Lifting his chin just the slightest bit in response to the challenge he was now faced with, Harry squared his shoulders and drew upon the Gryffindor courage inside of him that had allowed him to face Voldemort and twenty-nine Death Eaters* just three days ago.

He then boldly walked through the lounging applicants towards the only unoccupied corner near several haphazardly stacked crates of fresh fruits. He was stopped only once by a skinny man wielding a knife stepping into his direct path and Harry glanced at the slightly rusted and pitted blade of the dagger before he glanced up to meet the man's cruel brown eyes. Their staring contest lasted for a full five minutes before the man broke the silence in sheer frustration when Harry didn't cower or look away, "I'm going to give you to the count of five to get off of this ship and then I'm going to gut you like a fish."

Harry tilted his head to one side, crossed his arms over his chest, and gave the man a level two Snape Sneer (the one that said you are currently wasting my time and it is making me extremely unhappy) as he retorted, "How droll, a death threat delivered at knife point. Sadly, you're going to have to take a number and get in line behind the other forty-seven people that would love to dance upon my broken and bloody corpse. Now, if you'll excuse me; I have a tent to set up before supper is served and I will need time to pop up topside to fetch my companions from the masthead before we eat."

A number of the other applicants openly gaped at Harry while a few of the others either sneered or snorted in amusement over his rather blasé attitude in response to the threat. When the man blocking his way didn't move, Harry clicked his tongue in annoyance before he uncrossed his arms and propped his hands on his hips as he switched from the level two sneer to a level three Snape Glare. The one that said you've just annoyed me further and if you don't remove yourself from my presence post-haste, then I am going to hurt you in new and creative ways. Never let it be said that Harry learned nothing from the acerbic man and the man's glares and sneers were easily memorized (he used them that often).

The man fumbled and dropped his knife as he took a hasty step backwards and Harry snagged it out of the air as if it was a snitch and deftly offered it back to the man, hilt first. His would be attacker cried out in shock before he bolted out the door; he wouldn't be seen again. The man had been nothing more than a coward and a bully though; targeting Harry solely because of the teen's short stature had made it appear as if he was an easy target. Harry would later assume that the man had jumped ship while they were still parked beside the pier.

Harry sighed and stared at the shoddy dagger in his hand before he simply tucked the blade into his back pocket and continued towards the corner he intended to claim as his (he would clean the dagger up and repair it later since a weapon could be useful to have on hand). No one else from amongst the current group of applicants would bother him from that point forward; he'd proved himself capable of taking care of himself despite the fact that he'd actually been blustering and bluffing. His feathered companions would also factor in on the other passengers' decision to leave him alone as the fierce birds would spend more than seventy-five percent of their time perched on or near Harry throughout the entire voyage.

The teen wasn't even considering the ramifications of his actions at that moment as he finally reached what would be his corner of the ship for the next six months and began whistling softly as he took off his pack-trunk, unstrapped the tent from the bottom, and began setting up the small one-man tube tent. He secured the lead ropes for the tent beneath the crates that were stacked near the corner; shifting the heavy wooden boxes around to give himself a bit more room and lesson the chances that the crates would come crashing down on his tent. He'd later apply sticking charms to the crates to hold them in place the moment he had the communal berth to himself for a few minutes.

Once the tent was set up, Harry dropped down onto his hands and knees and grabbed hold of his pack as he crawled inside of the magical tent and immediately stood up inside of a small fully furnished flat. A smirk crossed his face over the fact that he had far more room inside of his little tent than the rest of the applicants had outside of it. Leaving his trunk beside the door, Harry set out to explore the tent that Bill had purchased for him.

The room the tent opened up onto was a small sitting room carpeted with a thick brown shag carpet, cream colored walls, and furnished with a matched set that included one couch, one love seat, two armchairs, a coffee table, two end tables, two floor lamps, and two wall sconces in a mixture of dark brown upholstery, pale oak frames, and polished brass trim. Off to the left of the sitting area, a small kitchen consisting of a short three-foot counter section, a small two-burner stove, a deep sink, two wall sconces, and pale floor tiles.

The kitchen and sitting room were separated by a five foot long half-wall that was topped with a countertop bar that could comfortable seat three people if they weren't very big. There were two bar stools stored beneath the bar that matched the dark brown, pale oak, and brass theme of the sitting room furniture. In the wall of the sitting room just a few feet away from where the dividing wall separated the kitchen from the sitting room there was a door that opened directly into the flat's only bedroom and attached bathroom.

The floor was covered with the same rich brown carpeting that was in the living room while the walls were pale green with the bottom half paneled in pale oak. The queen-sized four poster bed, twin nightstands, floor lamps, wall sconces, and wardrobe were all part of the same set as the sitting room furniture and took up roughly one third of the floor space in the bedroom. The door to the bathroom was to the left of the bedroom door; the bathroom sitting directly behind the kitchen. Inside of the bathroom, Harry found a shower stall, toilet, sink, a mirrored medicine cabinet sitting directly over the sink, and a wall sconce to the right of the door.

Over all it was just perfect for Harry's needs and far larger than the bedroom he'd been given by the Dursleys (both his cupboard under the stairs and the smallest bedroom upstairs). The best part about the tent was that Harry was the only one that could get inside thanks to the security wards that Bill had set up for him on the entrance earlier. Deciding that he could set up Flip and Flop's perches and unpack his clothes later, Harry left his pack-trunk inside of the tent and crawled out of his hidden flat so he could make his way up onto the deck in order to collect his eagles. As he made his way to the exit, Harry noted that more than half of the applicants had already left (either to get some fresh air or to seek the promised meal in the mess hall).

Harry quickly made his way up to the deck and whistled for Flip and Flop the moment he was standing beneath the stars. Flop dropped down first and reclaimed Harry's shoulder while Flip dropped down to land on Harry's left arm a heartbeat later; the teen wished to keep his wand hand unoccupied in the event that he needed to defend himself from an attack (Harry still felt slightly on edge after his earlier confrontation). Once both birds were settled, the young wizard made his way back down below decks to the mess hall where his entrance caused a slight commotion when those already inside of the dining hall caught sight of the large birds perched upon the rather short teen.

Long used to being stared at for one reason or another, Harry ignored the eyes on him as he made his way towards where one of the members of the crew were currently dishing up bowls of a thick stew for the passengers while another handed out fresh rolls and mugs of gently steaming liquid. As he reached the end of the line, Harry sent Flip to secure him a seat away from the rest of the passengers before he collected a tray and napkin wrapped bundle of silverware. The line moved fairly smoothly (unlike the lunch lines he recalled from his primary days) and Harry was soon standing across from the man dishing up the stew.

"Would you like a second bowl for your friend there?" the man asked as he pointed his chin at Flop, who was still perched on Harry's shoulder.

"No thank you, sir; I'll share my bowl with them if it turns out they are hungry since I'm almost certain they would have caught a bite or two in between tormenting the local seagull flocks earlier."

The sailor snorted in amusement as he grinned at Harry before turning to serve the next person in line. Harry had a small smirk on his face as he recalled seeing his eagles prank the seagulls before he moved over to the man handing out the rolls and what turned out to be mugs of mulled cider. Harry accepted a mug and asked for an extra pair of rolls to sop up the stew gravy and in case Flip and Flop decided they wanted to share his food.

Harry then made his way between the two long tables that occupied the room to the far side of the right hand table where Flip was perched on the section of table he'd claimed for Harry. Harry nearly tripped over his feet as Flop unbalanced him when the larger male launched himself off of Harry's shoulder to join Flip on the table and Harry eyed the two birds for a moment. He then sat down on the short bench that was placed at the end of the table so that he was seated next to where the two eagles were perched to better keep an eye on the troublemaking pair.

Both birds showed an immediate interest in Harry's food the moment he'd set the tray on the table and Harry was secretly glad that he was still somewhat full from his earlier meal otherwise would have regretted turning down the extra bowl of stew he'd been offered. Harry's face burned red when the honking calls of the two eagles echoed through the mess hall as both birds begged for food the moment Harry stabbed a piece of beef with his fork (much as they had when he'd offered them their treats earlier.

"Keep making a racket like that while we're inside and people are going to start calling you sea geese instead of sea eagles," Harry admonished even as he offered the bite on his fork to Flip. As soon as the smaller male pulled the meat free, Harry speared another piece and held it out for Flop. "Besides, you don't have to beg; I was already planning on sharing with you. I suppose this means that the two of you were too busy playing to do any hunting?"

Harry got the impression that both birds were feeling a bit sheepish over the accuracy of his statement as they shifted on their perch for a moment while avoiding making eye contact with the wizard. The teen snorted and shook his head even as he continued to pick out the thick chunks of meat from the stew to offer them to the pair while he occasionally ate a few of the vegetables. Once the meat was gone, Harry ripped one of the rolls in half and soaked both halves with the thick gravy before offering one to each bird. The wizard then had an entire three minutes of peace in which he could eat a bit more of the stew before the eagles were silently begging for more.

He ended up splitting the remaining two rolls between the two birds since they appeared to be far hungrier than he was and while he knew he had plenty of supplies for them back in his trunk, he also knew that sharing his food with them was yet another part of the bonding process. Harry couldn't help but recall how much Hedwig had seemed to enjoy sharing his bacon and toast with him and the teen's mood plummeted once more when he remembered that the bond he'd shared with the white owl was what prompted Dumbledore to dispose of her at the start of his most recent school year.

A rock settled in Harry's stomach as everything that had happened over the past three days hit him hard and he shoved his tray out of the way as he propped his elbows on the table before he dropped his head down and threaded his fingers through his hair. The fourteen year old practically shook beneath the weight of guilt he felt over being responsible for Cedric's death and Voldemort's rebirth on top of the terrible discovery that the man he'd once seen as a mentor and grandfather was just as determined to kill him as the Dark Lord that had murdered his parents when he was just a baby.

Part of him wondered who the hell he'd pissed off in a past life to earn such a crappy life this time around while the rest of him railed against the unfairness of it all.

It was only sheer willpower that kept Harry from giving voice to the fury filled scream he could feel twisting in the depths of his stomach as he tried to regulate his breathing in order to bring his emotions back under control. He really didn't want to have a mental breakdown fueled with explosive accidental magic right then and there in full view of who knew how many muggles.

Eventually, Harry calmed himself and he relaxed the hold he had on his hair and slowly sat up to discover that he was the only one still in the room aside from the crew member that was collecting dirty dishes and carrying them back to the galley so that they could be washed. A quick glance at the two male eagles revealed that the birds had both fallen asleep perched on the edge of the table and unlikely to cause any trouble if Harry chose to lend a hand in cleaning up. The fourteen year old then allowed long ingrained habits to take over in an attempt to avoid thinking about everything that was bothering him as he robotically climbed to his feet and moved down the table to start stacking and collecting trays, cups, and bowls that had been left on the tables by inconsiderate and lazy applicants.

"You don't have to do that," the crew member stated when he noticed what Harry was doing.

Harry paused with his hand outstretched towards another tray as he glanced over his shoulder towards the man. Harry took in the blue bandana tied around the man's red tinted brown hair, the yellow bandana tied around his neck over top of his orange shirt, and the tan breeches he wore with a brown belt to hold them up. The man looked to be no older than twenty-one, possibly twenty-two years old, and reminded Harry of an older version of a young and clumsy Neville Longbottom.

After the short inspection, Harry met the man's light green eyes as he replied, "It's alright; I don't mind and I don't really have anything better to do at the moment."

"Are you a new member of the crew then?"

"No; just a passenger… and an applicant, I suppose."

"Oh, then you _really_ don't have to help me…"

"And I _really_ don't mind helping you," Harry countered as he resumed collecting trays. "In fact, you're helping me more than I'm helping you by allowing me to help you."

"Huh…?"

"It's true… I'd be bored to tears right now if you weren't letting me help you clean up."

The crewman let out a short laugh in response to Harry's somewhat silly declaration but he didn't attempt to dissuade Harry from helping him a third time. The two of them worked in companionable silence to the background music of plinking metal trays, silverware, cups and bowls for several minutes before the crewman spoke up once more to introduce himself to Harry.

"I'm Katzo."

"My name's… James," Harry offered in return after a false start when he almost gave his first name instead of his cover name.

Once the dishes had been collected and delivered to the galley, Harry and Katzo wiped down the long tables that were bolted to the floor. After that, they folded the heavy benches that were attached to the tables with hinged brackets (to prevent them from shifting during storms) up onto the tables so that they could sweep up the food that had been spilled on the floor over the course of the meal. Harry left Katzo to finish the rest of the clean up by himself at that point when the long and rather emotional day finally caught up with him. After bidding the man goodnight, Harry collected his dozing birds and made his way back to the berth he shared with the other applicants.

There were a few grumbles from those applicants that were still awake when Harry slipped into the room with his companions (the applicants now well aware of the birds' loud and annoying calls thanks to the demonstration earlier in the mess hall) but Harry didn't even hear them through his exhaustion. He crossed the room quickly to crouch in front of his tent before crab walking into the interior (the two eagles perched on him making it somewhat difficult to enter the low doorway). The moment he was all the way inside, Harry straightened up and shifted the birds to the back of the couch so he could set up their perches and water dishes.

Their perches turned out to be more along the lines of a small tree instead of a real or artificial branch or post and made from large sections of driftwood. Each one stood approximately four foot tall, had a diameter of at least one foot, and had at least one fork on the trunk about halfway down that stuck out and up for about a foot. The short section of the trunk that branched out on both perches had been cut and hollowed out in such a way that their water bowls would fit into a bowl shaped depression on the end of the branch with a heavy brass perch on the outer edge of the branch's stump.

At the very top of each trunk there was rather messy nest made from twigs and long ropes of washed, dried, and magically preserved green and brown seaweed. The perches were mounted inside of planters that were three feet long, three feet wide, two feet deep, and filled with gravel and beach sand that smelled of sea salt. More long ropes of seaweed were wrapped decoratively around the trunks.

Additionally, the perches had been charmed to repel harmful insects (such as ticks, mites, fleas, and beetles whose larva would devour the driftwood), warded to vanish any waste that was voided by the bird using the perch (to keep the perches clean and reduce any unpleasant smells associated with the birds), and layered with charms and spells to protect the perch from spell damage, physical damage, or weather damage if placed outside. Each perch had been shrunken and stored in a small wooden case with a Featherweight Charm so that the perches could be easily stored or moved due to the perches weighing roughly two hundred pounds each.

Harry quickly set up both of the perches, one on either side of the tent's main entrance to offer additional protection on top of the security wards (setting the two eagles up to be feathered guard dogs of sorts). He then filled the removable water dishes that had come with the perches with fresh water before transferring the eagles from the couch to their perches; placing Flip on the left and Flop on the right (brass name plates would be added to the perches several weeks later in order to make it easier for others to tell the two birds apart). Satisfied that the two birds had been taken care of for the night, Harry grabbed his trunk pack and carried it to the bedroom and dropped it beside his wardrobe before crawling into bed without bothering to get undressed.

Nightmares would plague the teen's sleep and eventually drive him topside just before dawn where he would end up perched on the very end of the bowsprit alongside Flip and Flop.

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**Definitions:** Nautical Terms

Ahoy – a call used to draw the attention of crew on a boat or ship  
Berth – a bed or other sleeping accommodation on a ship or boat  
Bow – refers to the front part of the ship and is also sometimes called the prow  
Bowsprit – a spar (or pole) affixed to the prow/bow of the boat that is used as an anchor point for the forestay (a piece of standard rigging that helps hold the mast from falling backwards).  
Carrack – is a three or four-masted ship that was developed in the fourteen hundreds by the Portuguese  
Crow's nest – an alternate name for the masthead  
Galley – the ships kitchen  
Main deck – the uppermost deck of the ship that extends from the bow to the stern  
Masthead – the platform near the top of the mainmast on which a lookout will sit in order to get the best view  
Mess – also called the mess deck or mess hall; the place where the crew will eat and sometimes sleep  
Port/port side – the left side of the ship  
Rigging – the technical name for the masts and lines on ships and other sailing vessels  
Scalawags/Scallywags – a scamp, rascal, rapscallion, or scoundrel  
Square-rigged – a type of rigging where the sails are attached to horizontal spars that are perpendicular to the keel of the ship and masts  
Starboard/starboard side – the right side of the ship  
Stern – the rear or back end of the ship  
Tri-masted – meaning that the ship has three masts (foremast, mainmast, and mizzenmast)

**Notes:**

Six stone – eighty-four pounds

Gaki – Japanese for brat

Kaijinmaru – is the name of the Captain's ship from the 1999 Anime adaptation of Hunter x Hunter. According to google translate, Kaijin means mysterious person, phantom, or monster while 'maru' is a suffix that is sometimes added to the end of a boy's name.

Number of Death Eaters present – this number is based upon the section in chapter thirty-four of HP and the Goblet of Fire when Harry is about to face Voldemort in a duel and he's thinking about how little he learned and the fact that he is currently out-numbered at least 30 to 1. I took that to mean that he counted at least twenty-nine Death Eaters plus the Dark Lord to come up with the thirty (give or take two or three). This number was also included in the forty-seven people that Harry claimed were all waiting in line to kill him later in the chapter (a number that also includes the Death Eaters still in prison, Dumbledore, Snape, and Harry's relatives).

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	5. Training x on the x High Seas

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Five: Training x on the x High Seas

The Kaijinmaru came alive with the rising of the sun as the crew poured out onto the deck from below in order to prepare the ship for departure. Harry watched the men flit and scramble about while the First Mate barked out orders and watched over the preparations from the quarterdeck above the wheelhouse. By the time the sun finished rising above the horizon, the ropes securing the boat to the pier had been cast off and the ship began making its way out to the open sea with the help of a harbor boat to guide it through the maze of ships and docks that littered the busy harbor.

Surprisingly, none of the crew attempted to chase Harry from his rather dangerous perch upon the bowsprit. That would, of course, change the moment the crew needed to raise the jib sail that was housed on the bowsprit but for now they let him be only because he wasn't in their way. The crew had also been informed to steer clear of the passengers for the most part so as not to interfere with the various tests that the captain had planned to throw at the Hunter Exam Applicants in order to determine whether or not they were worthy of actually competing in the upcoming Hunter's Exam.

That meant that if one of the applicants was stupid enough to fall overboard or do something else equally stupid, then he'd be left for shark bait or tossed off the ship at the next port because he was obviously not Hunter material.

Harry had already unknowingly passed one such test of the captain's; he'd not allowed any of the other applicants to intimidate him, he'd claimed sleeping space in his assigned berth, and he'd survived through the night. He had also sparked the captain's interest with his unorthodox pets, his willingness to help clean up the night before, and the natural grace he's exhibited when climbing up the rope ladder and again when he'd taken his perch on the bowsprit in the predawn darkness. It was the same grace that had seen him labeled as a natural flyer in his first year (coupled with his fearlessness and instinctive sense of balance).

Once the ship was clear of the harbor, the sails were raised and the vessel began to pick up speed as the ship was pointed towards its next destination. The feel of the wind rushing passed him as the ship cut through the salty water reminded Harry of flying and he closed his eyes to savor the sensation as he felt the last traces of his nightmares fade in the feeling of peace that always gripped Harry when he was in the air. After a while, Harry shooed Flip and Flop off to stretch their wings and hunt up their next meal before he stood up and stared out over the seemingly endless expanse of water stretching out in front of the ship.

The teen remained on the bowsprit until his stomach began to complain over its current state of emptiness. Harry made his way back to the deck at that point and headed down to the mess hall to see if breakfast was being served yet. He arrived at the tail end of the meal just in time to grab a plate of breakfast goulash (pan-fried potato cubes mixed with scrambled eggs, cubed ham, shredded cheese, and diced onions, garlic, and bell peppers) and buttered toast. To drink, he had a choice of fresh squeezed orange juice, black coffee, or a breakfast blend black tea; Harry chose the orange juice because it had been months since he'd last had any juice other than pumpkin juice.

After he finished his meal, Harry once again helped clean up the messes left behind by the other passengers before he headed back to his tent to take a shower and change his clothes. He then dug out the care guide on sea eagles that he'd requested in order to familiarize himself with Flip and Flop's needs before he headed back up to the deck so he could enjoy the clear weather while it lasted. When he found his earlier perch on the bowsprit inaccessible due to the jib sail being raised, Harry spent a few minutes hunting for an out of the way place to sit before he nimbly climbed up the ratlines to commandeer the empty crow's nest.

Harry would spend the rest of the day up in the crow's nest alternating between reading the care guide, staring out over the ocean, or lavishing attention on the two eagles whenever they joined him to rest their wings. He was occasionally joined by one of the crew members for an hour or two at a time and while most of them usually just ignored Harry, a few of them actually struck up a conversation with him either about his eagles or about sailing and the ocean. Over all, it was a peaceful day filled with much learning and little activity and the only thing that would have made it better was if Ron and Hermione had been there with him.

Harry only descended after the sun sank below the horizon so that he could grab something small for supper since he'd skipped lunch altogether. Like during the evening meal the night before, Flip and Flop tagged along to share his meal (despite the fact that both birds had hunted off and on all day long) and he would lend Katzo a hand cleaning up after everyone else had cleared out. Harry then retreated to his tent for the rest of the night where he spent several hours browsing through the books he'd been given, rummaging through the training equipment, and examining the magical navigation equipment.

On the third day out of Portsmouth, the Kaijinmaru left British waters and Harry received a visitor in the form of an excited Dobby after supper. Harry had spent the entire night learning the rules that governed the bond between wizard and elf before he gave the elf a list of duties (with Dobby negotiating for more work). To start with; Dobby would work at Hogwarts Monday through Friday spying on the staff members that lived in the castle year round in order to determine how many of them were in on Dumbledore's kill Harry plans. The weekends would then be split between watching Hogwarts, helping Bill, and cleaning Harry's tent. He would also answer any calls for help from Harry's friends and Harry himself.

Once the next school year started, those duties would shift to include watching over and protecting Harry's friends from Dumbledore and spying on those in on Dumbledore's plans. Additionally, Dobby would perform a supply run for Harry once a month to replace those items he used the most and to bring him any purchases that were made on his behalf (such as new books, clothes, or other item he ended up needing). Dobby was also ordered to explain the bond between humans and elves to Hermione the first chance he got so that she'd not continue on her quest to free the Hogwarts elves and to keep her from attempting to kill Harry when she learned that he'd bonded with Dobby.

The rest of June passed in much the same way as Harry's first days; with Harry's nightmares chasing him out of bed before the dawn and either onto the bowsprit or the quarterdeck where he'd sit alone with the two eagles until breakfast. Once he'd eaten breakfast (the largest meal he ate each day) and helped collect the dirty dishes, Harry would shower and change, grab a book to read, and spent the rest of the daylight hours perched up in the crow's nest. He'd then come down near supper time, share a light meal with the matching menaces (as the crew had quickly named the two eagles), and help clean up the mess hall before retreating to his tent where he would dedicate his time to learning how to use and maintain the various artifacts that he'd been given.

Harry's routine would change with the arrival of Gringotts' messenger hawk (a gyrfalcon) carrying Bill's first monthly report and the promised study guide on the first of July. Also included in the packet he received was a list of the books that Harry would need to cover all of the material that would be on the O.W.L.s. Bill had suggested that Harry go through the list and cross off the ones that he already owned and send the list of those he didn't have back to Bill so the older wizard could purchase them for him; that way he wouldn't end up with duplicate titles. Harry would send his reply (along with a short report of what he'd been doing for the past ten or eleven days) off with Flip first thing the next morning.

From that point forward, the amount of time that Harry spent hanging about in the crow's nest was drastically reduced as he began studying; starting with the wanded subjects (Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Charms). He started by reading up on those spells that he would need to demonstrate during the practical portion of the O.W.L.s and brushing up on the magical theories that covered those three subjects. Once he had a firm understanding of how and why a spell worked, he would move onto the mechanics of casting the spell (incantations and wand movements) prior to making the first attempt at casting the spell.

As Harry read and practiced, he began to notice that he was no longer struggling to remember facts or memorize the wand movements and incantations like he had previously. He also found that he no longer had to struggle in order to get his magic to respond; though he quickly discovered that he'd lost a considerable amount of control at the same time. It only took him a short while to realize that all three things must be side effects of having the multiple bindings that had been placed on him removed.

That revelation led to Harry going back to the first year material to re-read all of his books and notes in order to fill in the holes in his education. This included taking the time to practice and master all of the first year spells. Once he finished reviewing and mastering the first year curriculum, he'd work his way forward through the second, third, and fourth year material in the same way. By the time he finished the fourth year material, he'd surpassed his previous skill level (his level prior to Sortilegus removing his bindings) by leaps and bounds.

On top of the studying he was doing for the O.W.L. Exams, Harry had picked three subjects to study from amongst the books he'd been given by Hogwarts; Mind Magics, Wandless and Wordless Spell Casting, and Swordsmanship. Mind Magic was a branch of magic that solely focused on internalized magic that strengthened and enhanced a wizard's mind. This included the study of: Occlumency – the art of defending one's mind from external attacks. Legilimency – the art of throwing one's mind outwards to attack or 'read' another's mind. Mindscaping – the art of creating, maintaining, and controlling a mental landscape for one's inner mind or mindscape. And Meditation – the art of training and organizing one's mind that helps one control their emotions, improve their recall abilities, and achieve a higher state of relaxation or peace.

Mind Magic was also a necessary skill if one wished to learn Wandless and Wordless Spell Casting, Self Transfiguration (such as the Animagus Transformation), or Aura Reading (an ability that allows one to 'read' the life force or aura of the people around them; also called Mage Sight or Soul Searching in older texts).

Wandless and Wordless Spell Casting would allow Harry to more easily use his magic to protect himself while he was traveling amongst muggles without drawing too much attention. Additionally, it would give him the upper hand in a duel or fight because it would harder for his opponents to counter his spells if they couldn't hear the incantations he was using and being disarmed would no longer mean that he was defenseless. Wandless and Wordless Spell Casting was also another skill that would be extremely beneficial when learning Self Transfiguration.

Learning swordsmanship would allow Harry to better protect himself in situations where he couldn't openly use his magic. It would also allow Harry to increase his physical fitness level which in turn would help increase his stamina and endurance levels and further boost his control over his spell casting. But mostly, Harry just wanted to learn how to properly wield Gryffindor's sword after discovering that it had been tucked in amongst the other items Hogwarts had given to him. He'd been fascinated with the idea of sword fighting ever since he'd pulled the sword from Sortilegus in his second year and even he knew he'd been damned lucky not to stab himself or kill himself when he'd used the blade to defend himself against the basilisk.

Harry typically practiced Swordsmanship out on the quarterdeck in the mornings, Mind Magic up in the crow's nest during the afternoons, and his Wandless and Wordless Spell Casting in the privacy of his tent during the evenings or when they ran into foul weather. The rest of his studying was squeezed in between those three things when he needed a break from the physically and magically exhausting training that went hand in hand with his chosen topics of study.

After the first three days in a row that he'd appeared on the quarterdeck with a wooden practice sword in hand to practice his stances (the practice sword had been included amongst his training equipment), one of the sailors took it upon himself to step in and correct Harry's form and grip. Jacob Manning (the crewman in question) also put together a physical training schedule for Harry in order to improve his physical fitness, speed, and strength.

This training included running laps around the deck, climbing up and down the ratlines, doing sit-ups, squats, and push-ups, and helping to sail the ship. To further build up the strength in his arms, Jacob began having Harry wear weighted armbands on his forearms. He started out with a single pound on each arm (which surprisingly made his arms ache by the end of the day despite how little they weighed) and added another pound to the bands at the end of each week in order to slowly build up his strength over time.

After the first week of training under the man, Jacob introduced Harry to his buddy Gunter Schmidt who in turn introduced Harry to gymnastics and acrobatics and taught him a series of exercises and stretches that would increase his flexibility. Harry took to those two disciplines like a duck to water thanks to his innate sense of balance, natural grace, and his lack of fear of heights and falling. Those new lessons also helped keep Harry from missing flying and Quidditch practice by giving him a sense of danger and daring that was almost equal to flying through the air on his broom.

Six weeks after being introduced to Gunter, Harry's acrobatics and gymnastics lessons were incorporated into his sparring practice. Combining the two forms of training allowed Harry to better dodge his opponent's attacks in addition to learning how to best use his environment to his advantage. Once he grew comfortable with the new element to his spars, the mock fights were no longer restricted to the quarterdeck; meaning that Harry often found himself fighting on the ratlines, on the bulwarks, and below decks in the cargo hold. Those spars further honed his skills as he learned to fight on unstable surfaces, precarious perches, inside of restricted space, and on uneven levels.

Within a few days of starting the physical training, Harry found the number of nightmares he experienced each night dropping drastically as he worked and trained himself to near exhaustion each day. He also experienced an increase in appetite and soon began eating lunch in addition to breakfast and supper; though the amount he ate at each meal was still far below what would be considered a full serving for a child of his age, weight, and height. Still, the fact that he was eating three regular meals would eventually mean that he filled out some (though he'd always be rather slender), gained close to a stone, and would grow a several centimeters by the time he was delivered to the site of this year's Hunter's Exam.

By the end of August, Harry was practically unrecognizable. First, he'd taken to running about the ship in nothing but a pair of loose fitting canvas breeches that ended just below the knees, his mokeskin pouch, and the weighted bracers on his forearms (with his wand tucked into the left bracer to both hide it and keep it close to hand) which saw him developing a light tan due to how much time he spent out in the sun. His hands and feet developed calluses from running around barefoot, climbing through the rigging, and handling the course ropes day in and day out.

His hair had grown out enough that it no longer stuck up in every direction and had faded to a dark rusty red (a result of the sun bleaching his hair). Once it reached the middle of his shoulder blades, Harry took to tying it back in a messy braid to keep the long strands out of his face. Next, he'd ditched his old glasses at their third port of call and purchased a new pair of glasses that had thin brass wire frames, transitional lenses (that would darken or lighten based upon the amount of light they were exposed to), and an updated (and therefore accurate) prescription.

Finally, Harry carried himself with far more confidence than he had prior to boarding the Kaijinmaru. The virtual disappearance of his lightning bolt scar (thanks to the removal of the link that had been siphoning off his magic) also made a bigger difference than Harry would have imagined it would since the disfigurement no longer drew attention away from the rest of Harry's face.

During that time, Harry's bond with Flip and Flop grew to equal the bond he'd shared with Hedwig during their three years together; something that helped ease the ache in his heart over his absent friend. The young wizard had quickly learned to how to distinguish between the different honking calls that the eagles voiced based upon tone, pitch, length, number, and sequencing of the cries. He also discovered that Flip had taken a liking for various shellfishes (particularly crustaceans) while Flop preferred to dine on squid or young sharks (if he could catch them when they came up to the surface to feed or if they got caught in the nets when the crew fished). Neither one of them ever refused anything that Harry offered to them though.

On the other side of the coin, both birds had become hyper sensitive to Harry's moods and would respond accordingly; such as coming to his defense if they felt his fear or anger and either giving him space or seeking to offer comfort when he was feeling sad or depressed. They had also begun responding to a number of Harry's gestures with a specific behavior; such as coming to land on his arm if he raised it in the air (Flip always landing on his left arm and Flop on the right – his weighted bracers protecting his arms from their talons) or searching out schools of fish moving near the surface of the water if he held up his right hand up with only his index finger extended and moved it in circles before pointing in the direction he wished them to search.

Additionally, Harry had trained the two eagles to respond differently to different whistles. A long whistle that maintained its pitch would bring both birds to his side for further instructions (such as sending off a letter), a long whistle that rose in pitch would have the two birds returning to his side and staying close, a long whistling dropping in pitch was a signal for the eagles to scatter and search for nearby threats or prey, and a short sharp whistle that was high in pitch was the signal for them to attack while two such whistles in rapid succession was the signal to cease attack. The two Sea Eagles had also learned several new pranks (some of them self taught while others were picked up from observing Harry and the other humans on the ship).

They'd taken to stealing hats, glasses, small weapons, or other trinkets from those people that irritated Harry (these were usually new applicants that attempted to bully him or those people that just couldn't resist trying to push Harry around because of his size despite the number of times Harry and his eagles humiliated them in front of the other applicants and crew). They had also taken to slapping people or visiting seagulls (of which there were few due to Flip and Flop's presence) in the faces with live fish or fresh seaweed when the mood struck them. The two of them would even target Harry on occasion if they thought he was ignoring them. The final prank they picked up was dive bombing; either to drop pebbles and other debris in people's food and drinks or to defecate on those people that insulted them or Harry.

Needless to say, the two birds had truly earned the nickname of the matching menaces due to their antics.

Harry had also grown closer to Bill during that time as the older wizard became something of a brother and uncle slash mentor to the younger wizard. As Harry's only point of contact with anyone in the wizarding world (Ron, Hermione, the twins, Sirius, and Remus all being caught up in the information ban that Dumbledore had placed on Harry through no fault of their own), Bill became Harry's only source of information on what was happening in the wizarding world and on the status of his closest friends and family. The result of that was that Harry began opening up more and more to the soon to be twenty-five year old through their regular correspondences until his short reports turned into proper letters before morphing into something of a journal where Harry talked about anything and everything.

Bill, for his part, encouraged Harry to open up to him and offered him advice, comfort in return, and shared many stories of what it had been like growing up in a large wizarding family. The older wizard also consistently kept Harry informed on the status of his estates; his monthly reports maintaining an air of professionalism that was not present in the letters he included with the reports. In that way, Bill maintained the perfect balance between personal matters and business matters that would allow Harry to keep business matters separate from his personal life.

The redheaded wizard also gave the best birthday presents.

He started by smuggling a letter and a present a piece from Harry's friends, Sirius, and Remus. Bill had then managed to talk his mother into making Harry a birthday cake and several large treacle tarts. Finally, Bill had given Harry a top of the line dragon hide dueling cloak, matching dragon hide boots and gloves (all three items made from Hungarian Horntail hide), and a copy of the _Dueler's Grimoire_. The Grimoire contained the official rules for the International Dueling Tournament, training guides for the various stances of the different dueling forms and styles, tips on creating or modifying spell chains, a list of specialized dueling spells, and a section on dirty dueling that taught the reader how to recognize dirty moves an opponent might pull as well as how to use them against an opponent.

The dueling cloak was designed to fit snugly over the chest, shoulders, and arms with the front flaps overlapping and buttoning up along the right side of the chest to add an extra layer of protection for the heart and lungs. The cloak then flared out slightly from the waist, hung down to the middle of the calf, and had a split centered on the back from the knees to the hem that allowed for greater maneuverability. A stiff, high-necked collar offered protection for the neck and throat while the boots and gloves that had come with the cloak would protect the feet, lower legs up to the knee, and the hands. Cloak, boots, and gloves were also woven over with spells that offered additional protection and comfort.

A Bounce Ward would prevent someone from casting tracking spells on the individual wearing the set. A Temperature Regulation Charm would prevent the wearer from growing too hot or too cold due to the weather or spells (though it would not stop him from sweating through physical activity or prevent him from overheating if his internal body temperature rose). A Resizing Charm would allow the set to make slight adjustments to account for moderate growth and changes in weight so that they didn't become too tight or too loose.

A Moisture Absorption Ward on the inside would draw sweat and other fluids away from the wearer's body (limited to where each item came into contact with his skin and clothing). A Moisture Repellent Ward on the outside would prevent the set from getting soaked and therefore growing heavy (which could affect one's performance). And a Comfort Charm would prevent the set from chaffing the wearer due to the stiffness of the hide.

Bill's gift was, by far, Harry's favorite gift that year but that wasn't to say he didn't appreciate or like the rest of the gifts he'd received, he just liked Bill's the most because not only was it a practical gift, it was a cool gift.

Most everyone else gave Harry books; Hermione gave him a leather-bound journal (for him to write down his thoughts and feelings in). Fred and George gave him a prank book titled _One Hundred Spells to Make Your Friends Laugh and Your Enemies Cry_. Remus had given him secondhand copies of _Moby Dick_, _Treasure Island_, and _The Old Man and the Sea_ (all in fair condition). And Sirius gave him the _Seafarer's Grimoire_; which contained a list of spells that were used in sailing, fishing, weather protection, navigation, and boat construction in addition to a glossary of nautical terms, a list of magical creatures that lived in the ocean, and a guide to magical ports of call around the world. Ron and Ginny, on the other hand, gave Harry a box of assorted Honeydukes sweets.

Remus's and Sirius's gifts (and their accompanying letters) let Harry know that Bill had succeeded in smuggling both older wizards to Gringotts and freed them from Dumbledore's strings. Both older men had also let Harry know that they didn't blame him for running and were not angry that he'd turned to Bill and Gringotts for help. Their assurances that they thought that he'd done the right thing lifted a weight from Harry's shoulders that he hadn't even known was there and made it much easier for him to throw himself into his training with all his heart.

They also fully supported his decision to seek his Hunter's License and warned him to be careful who he told about his being entered in the Hunter Exams due to the fear and resentment that most magicals held towards Hunters. In fact, they flat out told him that Hunters were seen as the boogiemen of the magical world and that they inspired far more fear than Voldemort and his Death Eaters ever did due to the fact that Hunters were known to hunt (and kill) magicals. Most of that was because of the rumors and lies that were spread by Dumbledore in order to discourage wizards and witches from attempting to earn their Hunter's License but there were kernels of truth in the stories; which made them all that much more believable.

In regards to the Hunter's Exam and Harry's chances of passing the captain's test and actually having a shot at taking the Exam this year, Harry was doing far better than any of the other applicants that had boarded the ship during the months of June, July, and August. He'd actually passed several more small tests; weathering the handful of mild storms they'd been caught up in, never backing down from any challenge (which included the training that Jacob was giving him), and using his head to solve the little puzzles that the captain set up each time they dropped anchor at a new port of call. The rest of the applicants that had boarded the ship in Portsmouth or at some point before that hadn't fared that well and by the end of August, less than three of them were still passengers aboard the Kaijinmaru while the rest of the seventy plus applicants aboard the vessel had all been picked up after that.

September first found a conflicted Harry staring off in the direction of Britain and Hogwarts. If he'd still been under Dumbledore's control, he'd currently be boarding the Hogwarts Express and returning to the castle for his fifth year. A very small part of Harry wished he was there, if only because it would mean that he'd soon be seeing his friends and because he missed everything that Hogwarts represented to him when he first learned of the magical school. The rest of him was satisfied with the direction his life had taken; especially when he considered how much stronger he'd grown physically, mentally, emotionally, and magically.

Harry would later learn that the goblin made golem that had been sent to take his place and cover up his disappearance had run out of magic during the middle of the Start of Term Feast; announcing his escape to the world.

Hogwarts and the new school year was soon driven from Harry's mind as Jacob took his training to the next level once it became apparent that Harry was ready to step up his training. In his sword training, this involved switching out his standard wooden practice sword with a weighted wooden practice sword and actively sparring with the occasional applicant looking to relive the boredom of being stuck on the ship in order for him to gain experience in fighting against different dueling/sparring styles without risking his life in a real fight. Pull-ups, chin-ups, and jumping jacks were also added to his physical conditioning training now that he was no longer so out of shape.

Harry's magical training was progressing just as steadily. He'd successfully created his mindscape (which had taken on the appearance of an endless ocean), made progress in sorting his memories through a combination of Meditation and Mindscaping, and strengthened his mind's natural defenses with Occlumency. Harry mostly stopped having nightmares once he began to master the basic levels of those three particular branches of Mind Magics. Consistently getting a good night's rest helped his training just as much as the increase in how much food he ate on a daily basis did. It also made it far easier to control his emotions since he tended to be less cranky when he didn't wake up just as tired as he'd been when he went to bed.

After studying the theory behind Wandless and Wordless Spell Casting for nearly two months and once he'd begun making progress using Mind Magics, Harry once again returned to the first year curriculum and began learning to cast each spell without his wand and without speaking. His progress on Wordless Casting was far more obvious than that he'd made on his Wandless Casting; that was only to be expected though. Wandless Casting was an exceedingly difficult skill to master simply because one had to learn how to pull up their magic without the aide of a magical focus, regulate the amount of magic they drew each time they cast, maintain control of the magic long enough to cast the spell, and direct the magic of the spell so that it struck the intended target.

So far, Harry had only managed to cast the Trip Jinx, the Leg-Locker Curse, the Body-Bind Curse, and the Stinging Hex wandlessly while he was well into the second year spells with his silent casting. He was currently working on trying to cast the Tickling Charm, the Full Body-Bind Curse, and the Bluebell Flame Spell. His O.W.L. training was progressing at a far more satisfactory rate as he worked his way through the spells for the wanded subjects and began reading through the material for the non-wanded subjects (History of Magic, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Potions). He ignored Divinations completely since he had no intention of taking that O.W.L. but toyed with the idea of going over the material that would be covered on the Muggle Studies O.W.L. later on since he figured that might be an easy but worthwhile pass to replace Divination.

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**Definitions:** Nautical Terms

Berth – a bed or other sleeping accommodation on a ship or boat  
Bowsprit – a spar (or pole) affixed to the prow/bow of the boat that is used as an anchor point for the forestay (a piece of standard rigging that helps hold the mast from falling backwards).  
Bulwarks – the part of the ship's side that extends above the level of the weather deck or main deck  
Crow's nest – an alternate name for the masthead  
First Mate – the second in command aboard the ship  
Galley – the ships kitchen  
Jib sail – a triangular sail at the front of a ship and a type of staysail (a sail affixed to the stays – which are the ropes, wires, or rods that help stabilize the masts)  
Main deck – the uppermost deck of the ship that extends from the bow to the stern  
Masthead – the platform near the top of the mainmast on which a lookout will sit in order to get the best view  
Mess – also called the mess deck or mess hall; the place where the crew eats and sometimes sleeps  
Port of call – another name for the various destinations that a ship stops at  
Quarterdeck – the aft or aftermost deck on a ship  
Ratlines – permanent rope ladders that run from the bulwarks to the top of the masts that allow the crew to easily access the topmasts and yards; they usually look much like thick, wide weave nets.  
Rigging – the technical name for the masts and lines on ships and other sailing vessels  
Wheelhouse – the location of the ship's wheel (also called a pilothouse or the bridge)

**Notes:**

Books – Moby Dick is by Herman Melville, Treasure Island is by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Old Man and the Sea is by Ernest Hemingway, and the rest were made up books that I created for this story (and other stories I have written).

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	6. Hunter x Exam x Hopefuls

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Six: Hunter x Exam x Hopefuls

It was on October twenty-third that Harry first saw a future member of a small group of individuals that would have a huge impact upon his life before the end of the two hundred eighty-seventh Hunter's Examination.

The Kaijinmaru had stopped at yet another port of call to purchase supplies, drop off the latest group of failures, and pick up the next batch of applicants. This time they were scheduled for a two-day layover to give the crew time to rest and enjoy the local attractions (which meant most of them were looking for a willing woman and cheap booze). Harry had opted to stay on board the ship in order to escape Jacob and Gunter's plans to cure him of his virginity; the two had been surprised to learn that 'seventeen year old James Evans' had never been with a woman. They'd been further shocked to learn that Harry had never received 'the talk' before they collected themselves and promptly corrected that glaring oversight.

Harry had never been so embarrassed and horrified in all of his life as their idea of 'the talk' involved a very detailed description of all the terrible diseases that one could catch if he visited the 'wrong' kind of woman in addition to very explicit instructions on what he should do with a naked woman once he got her into bed.

That had taken place just two days before they docked and Harry had been unable to stop blushing any time he saw either man ever since then; something that greatly amused his two trainers and more than half the crew. Any curiosity that Harry might have had in regards to girls and dating (he was a healthy teenager after all) had pretty much disappeared as a result of the mental scarring that conversation had evoked. So, when Harry learned that Gunter and Jacob planned to find Harry an appropriate trainer to guide him through his first experience with a woman; Harry had promptly decided that he would not be setting one foot off the ship during the two days they would be anchored at the small harbor.

Harry almost wished he hadn't added two years to his alter ego's age but soon came to the conclusion that even if they knew he was fifteen, they'd still try to set him up with a woman for a one-night-stand.

That was how Harry came to still be on the ship and not in town stretching his legs when the fresh applicants began trickling aboard the ship. At the time, Harry had perched himself midway up the portside ratlines (where it would be harder for the two crewmen to sneak up on him and drag him ashore against his will) with Flip and Flop clinging to the ropes on either side of him as they analyzed the new applicants the moment they climbed up the rope ladder to board the ship. Harry categorized each applicant by their ability to competently use the ladder, the level of fear they showed if the ladder shifted and twisted beneath their feet, and the look on their faces when they caught sight of him watching them from his perch up in the ratlines.

Those he pegged as gutless bullies were promptly pointed out to his feathered companions as potential prank targets and those that had the appearance of hardcore bullies were also pointed out to the birds with the instructions to consider them potential threats (which meant the two birds would keep a close eye on them for as long as they were on the ship). Those individuals that looked or carried themselves like hardened criminals were to be treated with the same caution as the hardcore bullies while petty thieves were lumped in with the gutless bullies. Those that fell in any category outside those four were basically ignored (this group would include the idiots, the loners, and the scholarly types).

Once an applicant had been categorized, Harry would calculate the odds of them being kicked off the ship at the next port of call and the likelihood of them passing the little tests that the captain gave to all new arrivals. Tests that Harry had not taken note of until after his fifth port of call; when he had began paying more attention to everything that happened aboard the ship between ports instead of focusing all of his attention on his studies and training.

Harry had gotten very good at reading people over the last three months and he hardly ever miscategorized any one any more while his predictions of just how long an applicant would remain on board were also fairly accurate. And he knew without a doubt that every single applicant he'd categorized over the course of the morning on the twenty-third would not last more than four ports of call before they either fled the ship in fear or were kicked off for failing one or more of the captain's tests.

Harry was just beginning to wonder if any of the other prospective applicants they had yet to pick up would be given a shot at actually taking the Hunter's Exam that year alongside of him (the captain had already informed Harry that he'd passed his tests with flying colors) when he caught his first glimpse of the blond.

It was his hair that had attracted Harry's attention first; the straw colored, messy locks stood out sharply in the sea of bald heads, dark hair, and assorted hat and bandana covered heads that currently filled the docks. His clothes were what kept Harry's attention on the other boy as they stood out even more so than the boy's hair; white pants, long sleeved white shirt, medium blue tabard with red trim, and faded blue deck shoes. The wizard estimated his height to be between thirteen and fourteen centimeters taller than his own one hundred fifty-seven and a half centimeters. Harry lost sight of the blond shortly after that as he passed behind a stack of crates and barrels on the pier and Harry soon put the other boy out of his mind as he returned to assessing the next group of applicants.

The next time Harry saw the blond was when he returned just before sunset carrying a pale gray messenger bag slung over his head and right shoulder. As he tracked the boy's progress down the pier, Harry noted the boy moved with a fluid catlike grace that reminded Harry of a tiger prowling through the shadows. Harry really wasn't surprised when the blond stopped to speak with Kaijinmaru's captain before deftly making his way up the rope ladder and vaulting over the bulwarks. He landed gracefully on the deck with nary a sound before he scanned the main deck for potential threats and Harry immediately categorized him as a wary loner that could hold his own in a fight.

The blond had just finished scanning the deck about the time that Harry estimated the boy to be around the same age as his alter ego when the teen glanced upwards to meet Harry's gaze through his darkened glasses. In the scant seconds that the blond held his gaze, Harry read the pain, rage, and loneliness that clung to the shadows in the other teen's eyes and he sucked in a sharp breath as he recognized that look. It was a look that Harry had occasionally seen in the mirror over the past several months whenever he caught himself thinking about Voldemort or Dumbledore.

The older teen broke eye contact a heartbeat later as he finally moved away from the bulwark and Harry rolled over and scrambled up the lines to take refuge in the crow's nest; his thoughts lingering on the blond teen.

A teen he was certain would still be on the Kaijinmaru when they reached their final destination.

Harry wasn't quite sure how to feel about that since he instinctively knew that the teen was the only real threat currently on board the ship. Oh, Harry wasn't worried that the teen would attack or harm him; he just knew that the blond was a dangerous individual whose training far exceeding anything that Harry had learned since boarding the Kaijinmaru. When Flip and Flop joined him in the crow's nest a few minutes later, Harry softly instructed them to keep an eye on the blond before ordering them not to prank him until he got a better read on the boy's personality; Harry didn't want to piss the blond off needlessly.

The wizard wouldn't officially meet the blond until three days later when they were once again out on the open sea. At the time, Harry had just finished his morning workout and was in the middle of stretching out in preparation for his daily sparring practice while he waited for Jacob to join him when the other teen appeared on the quarterdeck unexpectedly. Harry eyed the teen with curiosity right up until it became clear that the teen was headed right for Harry. The fifteen year old immediately became wary as he'd not missed the fact that the teen had observed his training more than once over the past couple of days.

"Good morning," the blond greeted when he stopped just a few feet away from where Harry was seated on the deck stretching out his back and legs. "After spending the last three days observing my fellow applicants, I've come to the conclusion that they are, on the whole, a pretty useless lot and it would therefore be pointless to ask any of them to train with me. On the other hand, I was greatly intrigued by what little I've seen of your daily training routine. I know from speaking with a few of the crew members and a couple of the applicants that have been traveling aboard the Kaijinmaru since before I boarded that you often spar with any one who is interested."

"I won't spar with anyone who is just looking to beat up someone smaller than them; I'm no one's punching bag," Harry countered as he finished stretching, rolled himself up into a hand stand, and flipped himself over onto his feet so that he no longer had to look up quite so far. "Otherwise, your information is mostly true. I take you are interested in sparring with me at least once?"

"Yes; though I'd actually hoped that you might be willing to spar with me two or three times a week between now and when we reach the Examination Site. It has been over four years since I had a proper sparring partner and I could use the practice to improve my form."

Harry hummed thoughtfully as he closed his eyes and considered the other teen's request while he stretched out his arm muscles. He eventually came to the conclusion that there wouldn't be any harm in agreeing to spar with the blond and having a new sparring partner was appealing since so few of the other applicants could wield a sword and while Jacob and Gunter were normally willing to spar with him, they weren't always available because they had a job to do.

"I wouldn't mind having another sparring partner," Harry finally answered as he opened his eyes and met the teen's gaze before glancing passed him to see Jacob coming up the ladder. "The other applicants usually don't come back more than once or twice because they can't keep up with me when I leave the deck and take to the rigging; the lot of them far too used to dancing prettily back and forth on flat ground and far too old to adapt. We'll just have to clear it with Jacob and Gunter since they are in charge of my physical training."

"And just what is it that you'll have to clear with me?" Jacob demanded loudly as he stopped directly behind the blond and propped his fists on his hips; causing the blond to start before he collected himself and pretended that he hadn't just been caught off guard.

"A potential sparring partner for the remainder of the voyage," Harry replied as he gestured to the blond.

"Are you bored of me already then, gaki?"

"No; you just make me fear for my virtue," Harry quipped right back as he fought the blush that began creeping up the back of his neck in response to his verbal reference to the man's continued promises to find him a woman.

"I still say it's a crime for a lad of your age to never have known the pleasure a woman can offer a man."

"That's just because you're a perverted bilge-rat with a one track mind," Harry shot back as he lost the war against his embarrassment and his face turned beet red.

"Perverted bilge-rat? That's the best insult you could come up with? I'm beginning to fear that I'm never going to turn you into a proper sailor; you don't drink, you won't swear, and you're afraid of naked women. Are you sure you're seventeen?"

"That's because I was raised as a proper English gentleman for many long and grueling years and you've only had your grubby mitts on me for four months," Harry pointed out dryly as he crossed his arms and smirked over the top of his glasses.

"Proper gentlemen, eh? Don't make me laugh; I know it was you that taught the matching menaces to use the passengers as targets for their droppings."

"The others were complaining about having to clean Flip and Flop's poop from the deck all day long when they couldn't get clear of the ship before they relieved themselves; they haven't soiled the deck on over a month now. And you and I both know that you were one of many individuals that asked them to target specific people."

Jacob slapped his knee and laughed loudly but didn't deny the accusation while the blond kept glancing between Harry and Jacob in confusion before he asked, "Who or what are the matching menaces? And what is a flip and flop?"

"The menaces are my companions," Harry replied as he pointed up to where the two eagles were currently perched in the rigging overhead. "Flip and Flop are their names. I'll also apologize for our rudeness; we should not have ignored you but I fear that the uncouth lug beside you has been a bad influence upon me."

"You have no reason to apologize; I took no offense to your playful and amusing banter. I was content to listen until I became lost when you used references with which I was not familiar."

"You're going to be a terrible influence on my young apprentice; I can see it now, you're going to undue all of my hard word and the gaki is going to fully revert back to his wretched gentlemanly self."

"Pay no mind to the riffraff," Harry deadpanned as he sent a half-hearted glare at Jacob.

"Ha! You're one to speak little rapscallion; did you even bother to introduce yourself? I know you didn't bother to introduce me."

Harry nearly blushed again because he hadn't introduced himself but managed not to reveal his renewed embarrassment away as he turned and offered, "Allow me to provide you with a late introduction to the slave driver masquerading as my instructor for all things pointy and sharp; the dastardly Jacob Manning."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Manning; I'm Kurapika," the blond replied as he offered the older man a short bow.

Jacob moaned and palmed his face over being addressed as Mr. Manning yet again (that was what Harry had called the man the first few times the man had stepped in to correct Harry's forms in the beginning). The man then scowled at both teens as he growled, "I take it back; the two of you are perfect matches. You're both gonna drive me to cabin fever. I'll leave you to your spar so's I can hold onto my vittles as there's only so much politeness a body can stand this early in the morning."

Harry snickered as the man stalked away; the fifteen year old well aware that Jacob was just funning around. After a few minutes, he turned back to Kurapika as he finally introduced himself, "I'm James, by the way; and that was just Jacob's way of saying he approves of you as a sparring partner for me. He won't go far as he'll take perverse enjoyment out of embarrassing me during our spar as he loudly points out any and all mistakes I make. Did you wish to spar now or did you want to wait until later?"

"I'm ready now."

"Any particular rules you wish to establish for the spar?"

"No… not really; except to limit our attacks to non-lethal blows."

"That works for me… you going to have a problem if we use the entire ship as our battle ground or would you prefer to limit our spar to the quarterdeck?"

"I'm fine with using the entire ship."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement as he drew the weighted practice sword he carried on his hip at all times now, rose up onto the balls of his feet, and confidently settled into a defensive stance just a few feet away from Kurapika. His confidence faltered just a little when the blond withdrew a pair of weighted wooden swords that were secured together with a short length of chain from behind his back. Harry frowned a bit as he'd never faced an opponent that used two swords before. He then wiped the emotion from his face as he pushed aside his worries; they were just going to have a friendly practice spar after all. The blond attacked two seconds later.

Two hours later, Harry sat sprawled beneath the main mast gasping for his breath as sweat ran down his face and back; Kurapika was an absolute monster with his twin blades. The wizard was bruised from head to toe from the number of times the blond had thumped him mercilessly with the ruddy things. He just knew he was going to ache all over until he could disappear down into his tent to take a hot shower and liberally smother the bruises with bruise balm. The only consolation Harry had over being on the losing end of their spar was the fact that Kurapika was just as exhausted as him due to Harry dragging their spar all over the ship; including up and down the ratlines more than once.

"Shall we spar again in two days?" Kurapika asked once he'd caught his breath.

"If you're sure you're going to be feeling up to it," Harry agreed as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"I'll be ready; but I worry that you'll be too stiff to move due to the number of hits you took."

"Pfft, this is nothing; I'll be up and running about the deck right after lunch to work on my gymnastics and acrobatics training with Gunter. Any soreness and all of my bruises will be gone by the time I start my training tomorrow morning."

"Really…?"

"Yep; after four months of torture… er… I mean training with Jacob and Gunter; I'm used to feeling like I've been worked over by herd of stampeding elephants at the end of a lesson," Harry quipped; drawing a laugh from the blond.

Every third morning after that, Harry would spar with Kurapika while he continued to train with Gunter and Jacob on the two days between spars; the two sailors now teaching him how to face multiple blades and/or opponents. The only break he had during the next three weeks was on Halloween, when he spent the entire day (from the moment he woke up until the moment the moon set sometime around three in the morning) perched on the bowsprit and ignoring everyone as he reflected upon his absent friends and family and wondered whether or not his parents would be proud of him.

He was more than a little surprised when there hadn't been some kind of deadly encounter on the thirty-first (as there had been without fail since he started Hogwarts) before he worried that it might just be the castle that was cursed and not him personally like he'd formerly believed. Summoning Dobby for an update on what was happening at the castle when he returned to his tent put his mind to rest as the only thing that had happened was that the new Defense Professor (a witch by the name of Delores Umbridge) had been declared High Inquisitor of Hogwarts (whatever that was). Harry thanked the elf before he took a shower and drank a dose of Mulled Stone's Blood to wake himself up so that he could start his training as usual.

In between his spars and regular training, Harry still found the time to teach a couple of bullies a lesson they wouldn't soon forget after the two men had attempted to jump him one morning just outside of the berth he still shared with the other applicants. He also learned that a Stinging Hex to the eye at point blank range was extremely painful; or at least that was the impression he got when the man he'd hit with the wandless hex let loose a blood curdling scream and clawed at his face after being hit with the spell. Flip and Flop hadn't hesitated to jump into the fray a split second after he'd fired the hex and both men ended up sporting more than a few gashes from their sharp beaks and talons.

Harry had then left the bullies where they fell (after taking the time to give them each a parting kick to their block and tackle) and continued about his day as if nothing had happened. The two eagles would target the two men relentlessly for the rest of their time aboard the ship after that until it got to the point where the two bullies refused to leave their berth out of fear of the matching menaces.

When they pulled into yet another harbor on the fifteenth of November (seven days after the incident with the bullies) half of the applicants that had boarded at the previous port of call abandoned ship along with the two bullies; both of whom had been permanently scarred by Flip and Flop's vicious attack. Harry once again remained aboard the ship during the entire time they remained tied to the dock; he'd not missed the heated and resentful glares that had been sent his way by the two bullies as they disembarked. The wizard didn't really mind though; they would only be there for about eight hours, which really wasn't enough time to properly explore the city.

The teen spent those eight hours perched on the bulwarks beside the rope ladder hanging over the side chatting with the captain as he dealt with the small handful of new applicants that were boarding the vessel. It was in that new group that Harry discovered the second applicant that he knew would be given the chance to actually take the Hunter Exam.

The man was roughly thirty-five centimeter's taller than Harry (though the man's casual slouch made judging his height rather difficult) with black hair that had been cut short and spiked on top. The man wore small round sunglasses low on his nose, a dark blue business suit with a white dress shirt and turquoise tie, and polished black dress shoes. In his left hand, the man carried a slim black briefcase decorated with red diamond pattern. Despite the man dressing like a classy business man, he carried himself like a dufus. Looks could be deceiving though, and Harry didn't miss the hard look in the man's eyes or the way he easily scaled the robe ladder using only one hand.

And whereas Kurapika put Harry in the mind of a powerful tiger stalking his prey from the shadows, the tall man made Harry think of a playful wolf that disguised his dangerousness with his puppyish behavior.

It would be nearly two months before Harry learned the man's name as he kept to himself from the moment he boarded the vessel. Harry watched him sometimes though, curious about his contradicting nature; completely unaware that the man would soon play a much larger role in his life. The wizard's silent appraisal of the man would be proven correct about a week after he boarded the Kaijinmaru, when a group of thieves amongst the applicants attempted to mug the man during the middle of the night (the man's suit leading the thieves to believe that the man had money to burn). Harry had witnessed the entire incident and had been suitably impressed with the tall man's knife fighting abilities.

Harry would meet the third member of the group that would change his life one month after the tall man had boarded the ship when the Kaijinmaru reached Whale Island (the last stop to collect the last of the prospective applicants that the captain would be testing).

The kid in question had bounded onto the ship with blatant enthusiasm after everyone else had already boarded. He'd then waved excitedly to the crowd down on the docks and loudly swore that he'd pass the Hunter's Exam and become the best Hunter in the world as they left the island behind. Most of the other applicants on board scoffed over the kid's declaration but the gutsy kid wasn't in the least bit fazed as he turned his eyes on those that were lounging around the deck. He soon forgot those that were trying to intimidate him as he rushed to aide Katzo; the often clumsy deck hand had tripped over splinter and spilled a crate of apples. The new kid ended up making friends with Katzo as he quickly helped the ungainly deck hand collect the scattered fruit.

Harry had watched the entire scene playing out from his perch in the crow's nest and felt a pang of regret fill him as the kid immediately reminded him of himself when he'd still be young and innocent. The wizard had quickly shoved that thought out of his mind as he took the time to study the kid; taking in his long spiked green and black hair and intelligent brown eyes that burned with open determination. He was wearing green shorts, a white undershirt, and a green jacket with dark green and orange accents and on his back he carried a brown and tan rucksack with a fishing pole strapped to the side of the pack.

Harry figured the kid to be no older than eleven or twelve years due to the kid's sunny disposition and the way he wore his heart on his sleeve. That would make him the youngest applicant that Harry had crossed paths with to date; a title that Harry had previously held since he'd still been fourteen when he'd first boarded the Kaijinmaru. He was also the only applicant shorter than Harry (by about four centimeters, if you discounted his spiked hair). Harry knew without a doubt that the kid would be the only other applicant to reach the ship's final destination; he could see it in the kid's eyes.

The fifteen year old's attention was drawn away from the kid a moment later by the distressed cries of Flip and Flop as they dropped down to land beside him on the rail of the crow's nest. Harry had barely recognized that particular cry as the warning cry of an approaching storm when he suddenly had company in the crow's nest in the form of the younger kid that had just boarded the ship. Harry's brow furrowed in puzzlement as the kid pinched his nose a couple of times and sniffed at the wind before he half leaned over the edge of the crow's nest to loudly announce that a terrible storm was coming.

A glance over the side revealed to Harry that the captain agreed with the kid's assessment of the coming storm and the wizard's curiosity was peaked when he noticed a look of recognition pass over the captain's face; something about the kid had reminded the captain of someone that he knew. Shaking off the observation, the wizard grabbed the loose coil of rope that was attached to the main mast on one end and tossed the free end over the side of the crow's nest. The rope had been installed by Gunter shortly after Harry had started his acrobatics lessons in order to teach him how to swing from a rope without smashing into stationary objects and to teach him how to use a rope as a guide line to safely drop down from heights that might otherwise see him injured.

Harry kept one hand on the rope as he threw himself over the side of the crow's nest. When he was about halfway down, he grabbed the rope with his free hand and used both hands to slow his decent just enough that he hit the deck with a loud thump. He then whistled for Flip and Flop to come down so that he could move them into the tent for the duration of the coming storm in order to prevent them from being injured. Once they were safely stowed away, Harry returned to the deck and began helping the crew to batten down the hatches and anchor any lose items in place to prevent them being swept overboard during the storm.

There was no time to give any further thought to the curious child that was looking to take the Hunter's Exam as the storm struck with all the vengeance of a jilted and jealous lover. It was, by far, the worst storm that Harry had ever experienced in his entire life; worse even than the terrible storm that had hit Hogwarts during the middle of his first Quidditch match in his third year (the same match that saw the dementors had drive him from his broom). Close to half of the crew (including Jacob) and almost all of the applicants became violently ill as the carrack was tossed about by wind and water; the small ship frequently being thrown clear of the water completely.

Harry was one of the few individuals that were not crippled with seasickness (the various magical forms of transport he'd experienced to date had long since inoculated him against any kind of motion sickness) and he rode out the storm by helping to secure the loose cargo in the hold to prevent them from taking heavy losses of their supplies (such as food and fresh water) on top of filling in for those crew members that were unable to work. As he moved about below deck, Harry occasionally caught glimpses of the three applicants he'd pegged as having what it took to pass the captain's tests and noted that they were the only other applicants aside from himself that were not affected by the terrible storm.

For three days the terrible storm raged and took its anger out on the small vessel that had foolishly strayed into its clutches and those three days were the longest days of Harry's life as he put to good use everything that Katzo, Jacob, Gunter, and the captain had taught him about sailing. Not once during those three days did Harry stop long enough to sleep; the wizard surviving on Mulled Stone's Blood and Stone's Teeth to keep his body from keeling over in exhaustion as he did the work of three deck hands to make up for those crew members that were unable to function.

Harry was also the only one brave enough (or stupid enough) to venture above deck during the course of the storm to pass messages, secure ropes that had been torn free, or fetch tools and things for the other crew members. Of course, the only reason that Harry felt confident enough to venture above deck was due to the liberal application of a spell called the Sailor's Savior; a specialized, two-part sticking charm that was applied to both the weather decking and to the bottom of a sailor's shoes. Once both spells were applied, they would allow a person to safely travel across a waterlogged deck without risking being swept off over the side by the violent pitching of the ship or an errant wave of sea water.

Harry had discreetly cast the deck portion of the spell just before the storm hit and renewed the spell on the bottom of his shoes each time he ventured out into the storm. Several other spells he'd learned from the Seafarer's Grimoire had also been put to good use; allowing the teen to handle problems that would normally take anywhere from three to five men to accomplish.

In a way, it was the storm that allowed Harry to put his recently learned knowledge to work as he'd never have been able to openly cast any of those spells in front of the crew or passengers. It was a real life test of his newfound skills and he passed with flying colors thanks to the many months of hard training he'd put himself through alongside of what he'd been taught by the crew members.

Harry had never felt so alive as he did while he figuratively thumbed his nose at Mother Nature's vengeance.

* * *

**Definitions:** Nautical Terms

Batten down the hatches – the process of securing open doors or lose items during inclement weather  
Bilge – the section at the bottom of the hull of a ship or boat where water collects  
Bowsprit – a spar (or pole) affixed to the prow/bow of the boat that is used as an anchor point for the forestay (a piece of standard rigging that helps hold the mast from falling backwards).  
Bulwarks – the part of the ship's side that extends above the level of the weather deck or main deck  
Carrack – is a three or four-masted ship that was developed in the fourteen hundreds by the Portuguese  
Crow's nest – an alternate name for the masthead  
Main deck – the uppermost deck of the ship that extends from the bow to the stern  
Masthead – the platform near the top of the mainmast on which a lookout will sit in order to get the best view  
Port of call – another name for the various destinations that a ship stops at  
Quarterdeck – the aft or aftermost deck on a ship  
Ratlines – permanent rope ladders that run from the bulwarks to the top of the masts that allow the crew to easily access the topmasts and yards; they usually look much like thick, wide weave nets.  
Rigging – the technical name for the masts and lines on ships and other sailing vessels  
Weather deck – those parts of the deck that are exposed to the weather

**Notes:**

Character heights:

Harry – 157.5cm or approximately 5ft 2in.  
Kurapika – 171cm or approximately 5ft 7in.  
Leorio – 193cm or approximately 6ft 4in.  
Gon – 154cm or approximately 5ft even.

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	7. Destination x and x Disembarkation

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Seven: Destination x and x Disembarkation

On the afternoon of the third day out of Whale Island Harbor, there was a lull in the storm. Harry took that opportunity to duck into his tent to check on Flip and Flop (both of whom were fine) as well as check his supplies for anything that could help those that had fallen ill; unfortunately, most magical medicines were not muggle friendly because they needed the drinker's magic to act as a catalyst for the magic in the potions and to stabilize the effects of the potions so that the drinker doesn't end up poisoned. The large supply of peppermint humbugs he had, on the other hand, would be useful to settle the stomachs of those who were still feeling queasy.

Harry grabbed the large sack of peppermint candies and left his tent to start distributing the candies; automatically heading for the berth that the crew shared on the other side of the hold (the wizard felt that it was more important to get the crew back up on their feet before worrying about the applicants). When he finally did make it around to hand out some of the candies to the applicants, he found Gunter tending to the sickest individuals and Kurapika, the tall man, and the kid all missing. Gunter let him know that the captain had called for those three not that long ago and Harry suspected that the captain would be giving them one last final test to decide whether or not to pass them.

The wizard almost wished that he had been called to that meeting as well; if only to see how they reacted to the prying questions that he knew the captain would ask them about their reasons for applying to take the Hunter's Exam. Then again, he didn't think that he'd have been comfortable answering those questions in front of any other applicants. He'd had a hard enough time answering them when he'd been alone with the captain; struggling to answer truthfully while not speaking about magic or getting into the real reason he'd fled England. In the end, he'd simply told the man that he was searching for his place in life and left it at that.

Before Harry could give the matter much more thought, Katzo's voice echoed through the hold as he loudly called all able bodied crewmen to the deck. Harry tucked his bag of candies into the mokeskin pouch he still wore around his neck and dashed out on the heels of Gunter. When they made it topside, Harry swore out loud as his eyes fell upon the water spigot that had formed; the storm had just gone from bad to ugly. Grim determination filled him as he dashed forward to help furl the sails in order to prevent the violent winds springing up around them from tearing the sails, snapping the lines, or dragging the ship straight into the dancing water spigot.

His wand made its way into his hand even as he grabbed hold of the nearest rope and began hauling on the ropes with the rest of the crew that had made it up onto the deck (more than a few of them only standing thanks to Harry giving them something to settle their stomachs enough that they could soldier through the rest of their discomfort. Every few minutes, Harry would flick his wand towards the shoes of the sailors around him in order to cast the second half of the Sailor's Savor Spell to keep them from losing their footing as the ship was once more tossed about by the storm.

He'd only been on deck for roughly twenty minutes when a cry rang out as Katzo was swept overboard when the forward boom snapped and the broken piece slammed into the man. The kid that had befriend Katzo three days ago let out a cry of distress before he took a page out of Harry's book of stupidest stunts ever as he threw himself overboard after Katzo. Harry cursed once more as he dropped the rope he'd been helping to haul in and brought his wand up to cast the Safety-Line Spell causing a looped rope to burst forth from the end of Harry's wand and cut through the air to loop around the kid's left foot.

Harry waited until the kid had wrapped his arms around Katzo before he pulled up and back on his wand with both hands to tighten the rope and haul the pair back towards the ship so that Kurapika and the tall man could grab hold of the kid's legs and help haul him back up onto the ship along with Katzo (both of the older applicants had jumped over the side after Katzo and missed; only saving themselves from a watery grave by grabbing onto the bulwark as they went over). Harry broke the rope free from the tip of his wand with a flick of his wrist and quickly hid his wand even as he began hauling up the slack in the rope as several other crew members rushed to help the group while the rest finished furling the last of the sails.

Once all four individuals were safely on the deck, Harry flopped down onto the deck in exhaustion and stared dully at the water spigot that was steadily disappearing into the distance as the ship was steered clear of the storm. Gunter eventually hauled him up off the deck and escorted him down to his berth and gave him orders to get at least twelve hours of sleep before daring to show his face above decks again. Harry absently nodded in response and mechanically dropped to his knees to crawl inside of his tent. He managed to crawl several feet into the tent before he dropped down onto the brown carpet that covered the floor and passed out on the floor; the teen too exhausted to care that he was sleeping on the floor.

The exhausted wizard would end up sleeping through the remainder of the twenty-first and through all of the twenty-second before he woke up just after dawn on the twenty-third to find himself wearing clean pajamas and tucked into the bed in his bedroom. He sat up and stared around the room in confusion as the last thing he remembered was passing out on the sitting room floor and he knew that no one else on the ship could enter his tent so he really had no clue as to how he'd gotten into bed. Clarification was provided for the teen when a relieved Dobby popped into the room with a tray piled high with all of Harry's breakfast favorites a minute later.

"Dobby is being very happy that Master Harry is feeling better now," Dobby stated with a grin before he turned serious and scolded Harry in the next breath. "Master Harry is scaring his Dobby when Dobby felt Master Harry's magic almost disappear completely. You is not allowed to go away and leave Dobby all alone and without a good and proper master."

"I'm sorry, Dobby; there was a huge storm and half the crew grew ill so I had to help keep the ship afloat. I promise that I'll try to be more careful in the future," Harry softly stated as the elf slid the tray he held onto the nightstand before throwing himself onto Harry. "I really appreciate you taking care of me while I recovered and I know without a doubt that you are the world's best house elf."

Dobby blushed and ducked his head before he let go of Harry, moved the breakfast tray from the nightstand to Harry's lap, and popped away to finish whatever it was he was in the middle of doing when he'd felt Harry wake up. Harry chuckled weakly before he dug into the food sitting before him. The teen easily finished every last bite of the enormous meal (the wizard had needed the food to replace the energy and magic he'd expended during the course of the storm and while he was sleeping off his exhaustion). After finishing, he drifted off back to sleep while his core finished recharging now that it had the fuel it needed.

He woke up again around sunset to find another overflowing plate of food waiting for him, a roll of parchment, a bottle of ink, a quill, and a short missive from Bill with a demand for a status report; Dobby had apparently kept Bill informed of Harry's condition after the elf had found him on the floor in a critical state of exhaustion. Harry devoured the food first before he complied with Bill's request; going into great detail about the severity and length of the storm they'd been caught up in, the terrible state of half the crew and nearly all of the applicants, and the various tasks he'd performed during the course of the storm. He ended it with a detailed description of the daring rescue he'd helped pull off with the only other three applicants that had been able to ride out the storm.

Dobby turned up to collect both the letter and the empty tray the instant Harry finished. Harry sighed as he expected to get yelled at in return for the reckless way he'd pushed himself during the storm but Harry knew he would do it again in a heartbeat if it became necessary. He then got up to take a shower and change into clean breeches so that he could put in an appearance topside to let the crew know he was still alive. He pinned a short note for Dobby to let him know that he'd be back in a bit (in case the elf returned while he was out) that he left on the nightstand before he stepped into the living room.

The teen was nearly mobbed by the two Sea Eagles the moment they saw him; both birds had not seen much of him over the past five or six days. Harry spent several minutes lavishing them with attention and feeding them treats before he shooed them through the door first and followed them out. Harry then climbed to his feet and made his way to the door as the two birds waddled along in his wake (Harry still felt far too weak to carry them right that moment). He led the two birds towards the hatch opening up onto the deck and let them out first so that they could stretch their wings for the first time in several days.

Harry stepped out a second later and immediately found himself swept up into a hug by an emotional Katzo who babbled out a heartfelt thanks for helping to save him before the man vanished again; leaving behind a bemused teen. Harry was next accosted by Jacob and Gunter who both slapped him on the back once they made certain he was still in one piece. Jacob then congratulated Harry on giving into his more human side twice during the tail end of the storm; Gunter had diligently reported Harry's use of swear words during that final half hour.

Harry was then sternly told to rest for the next three days and to not even think about doing any training or lifting anything heavier than a spoon. Jacob even went so far as to order Harry to drop half of the weight from his bracers for the same length of time; Gunter gravely revealing that Harry had been ash gray and trembling like a leaf when he'd sent Harry off to rest in the wake of his helping to rescue Katzo two and a half days earlier.

A few more of the crew members greeted him warmly and stated their pleasure over seeming him up and about again as they passed near him while tending to their duties. Harry thanked them all for their concern before he continued on his way; the teen looking to prop himself up against the bulwark while he enjoyed the evening breeze. The captain soon joined him at the rail and the two of them stood in companionable silence alternately watching the stars and the two eagles fishing in silence for several minutes before the old man addressed the teen.

"We'll be making one last side trip to clear out the trash before we head to Dolle Harbor; the closest harbor to this year's Examination site. We should reach Dolle Harbor by the thirty-first."

"That's only a week away," Harry commented in some surprise.

"Aye."

"It feels weird to think I'll be getting off the ship in a week's time; I've been sailing with you for so long now that it almost seems as if I've been sailing all of my life. There were even times when it seemed as if there would never be an end to the voyage."

"You took to the life of a sailor like you were born to it lad," the captain fondly remarked before he turned to study the teen for several minutes. When he finished with the inspection, he solemnly offered, "Whether you pass or fail the Exam, you'll always be welcome aboard the Kaijinmaru; either as a passenger or as part of the crew."

"Thank you; that means a lot to me," Harry replied softly as he offered the man a smile. "The Kaijinmaru has become something of a home for me over the past six months and knowing I can return no matter what is truly a gift. It might take me a few years to come back to visit for a while but you can guarantee that Flip and Flop will drop by with a letter every now and then so that I can keep in touch with everyone."

"The matching menaces are welcome to stop by and stir up a little trouble as often as they like if it means hearing from you and hearing all about your latest adventures."

"I'll be sure to teach them new pranks between deliveries."

"I look forward to the entertainment they are sure to provide," the captain laughed as he slapped Harry on the back. "For now, why don't you go grab something to eat before they empty the mess, gaki; you're still looking peaked. I'll keep an eye on your feathered friends and have one of the crew let them back below decks when they're finished hunting so you don't have to worry about them."

"Aye, aye, captain," Harry fired back as he crisply saluted the man before making his way back towards the hatch.

Harry would spend his last eight days aboard the Kaijinmaru simply lounging about, hanging out with the friends he'd made amongst the crew, or lightly exercising once he'd fully recovered. The reason his full training hadn't resumed was two-fold; he'd barely just recovered from driving himself into the ground and there were only a handful of days left until he entered the Hunter's Exam and the last thing he wanted to do was go into the exam exhausted and sore. He'd suspended his magical training for the same reasons, though he still read through a handful of his books when he had a few hours here and there.

During the evenings, when he'd previously worked on his spell casting, Harry spent his time trimming the bottom two inches off of his invisibility cloak, stitching up the new hemline, and turning the piece he'd cut off into a snug sleeve to fit over his wand in order to hide the focus in plain sight so he could use the wand without drawing attention to it. The tip side of the sleeve would be left open to allow his magic to leave the wand unhindered and end at the point where the handle met the wand rod. He then fashioned another shorter sleeve that was attached to the first sleeve and made to cover the half of the handle that was closest to the wand rod.

The bottom half of the handle was left uncovered so that there was less of a chance for him to lose track of the wand completely if he set it down somewhere. The last thing he did was drill a hole through the handle a half an inch from the end and threaded a short leather cord through it. Once the cord was tied off, it was about eight inches in length with a loop at the end that was just large enough for Harry to loop it over his wrist to prevent his wand from being summoned from him or dropped during a fight. It also gave him a means of quickly and easily drawing the wand from beneath his left bracer where he still stored the wand when he wasn't using it.

The remaining section he'd cut free from his cloak was then folded up and tucked away in case he found a use for it later down the road or needed to replace the sleeve he'd made to hide his wand.

His next task was to painstakingly wrap the bejeweled hilt of Gryffindor's Sword with strips of plain leather in order to disguise the ornate nature of the weapon least would-be-thieves think to steal it from him. The blade was deadly thanks to the basilisk venom the goblin forged blade had absorbed; one little nick was all it would take to kill a person (Harry had tested it on a few rats he'd caught aboard the ship over the course of the voyage – they'd died almost instantly even if he gave them nothing more than the equivalent of a paper cut). The scabbard he'd purchased to hold the blade (to help prevent accidents) was then strapped to the back of his pack-trunk just beside the right shoulder strap where the blade would be close at hand if he should need it.

The rest of his time was spent sorting through all of his belongings that had migrated from his trunk to his tent and packing up those items he wanted to have close at hand back into his trunk while those that he wasn't likely to need during the exam were left in the tent. He also made a list of items he asked Dobby to have Bill purchase for him (which were mostly new clothes to account for the growth spurts he'd gone through during the past six months and food; Harry had slipped extra food in the galley's larder any time that the ship's supplies started to run low just before they reached their next stop).

The only two nights he didn't spend holed up in his tent were Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when he celebrated the holiday with the crew. Christmas Eve would mark the first, last, and only time that Harry would let Jacob and Gunter talk him into drinking with the others. Harry had spent most of Christmas Day feeling crappy due to the hangover he had ended up with after the two men had gotten him soused. Thankfully, they'd still been at sea at the time or Harry was pretty certain that he'd have woken up to find himself in an unfamiliar woman's bed.

Boxing Day saw all of the disqualified applicants being dropped off while the crew picked up supplies to replace those that were damaged or lost during the storm. Harry was glad to see them go as most of them had been rude, arrogant tossers that reminded him far too much of his cousin and Malfoy. On the other hand, the ship felt eerily empty now that there was only the crew and three additional passengers aside from himself on the ship.

All too soon the Kaijinmaru was pulling into Dolle Harbor and the life Harry had made for himself aboard the carrack came to an abrupt end. Numbness settled over the wizard as he fully dressed himself for the first time in months; pulling on a snug fitting white t-shirt, a comfortably loose pair of washed out blue jeans, a pair of socks, and the dueling boots that Bill had given him for his birthday. He then belted on his weighted practice sword (the wooden sword a weapon in its own right), checked his bracers, pulled on the dueling gloves, and slipped into his dueling cloak (leaving the buttons undone for now so that the cloak framed his body and allowed him to easily access his sword if he needed to protect himself).

Harry didn't recognize his own reflection when he caught sight of himself in the full length mirror that hung on the back of his bedroom door; he looked far more like a young man and far less like the young waif he used to be. The wizard didn't dwell on the changes he'd gone through (both physically and mentally) for long though as he strode out of the bedroom, collected Flip and Flop from their perches, and snagged his pack-trunk. The teen crawled out of the tent two minutes later and dismantled the magical accommodations so he could pack it up and strap it back onto the bottom of his trunk (undoing the spells he'd cast on the crates surrounding his corner at the same time).

Once that was done, he shouldered his pack and made his way topside. Just before he reached the hatch, Harry glanced back over his shoulder and took one last look at the hallway that led back down to the mess hall. He then squared his shoulders and scrambled up onto the deck where he sent Flip and Flop off to explore the island in the hopes that they would be able to spot the gathering point for the Hunter Exam applicants. He let his eyes follow their flight for several minutes before he turned his gaze to the Kaijinmaru to permanently lock the memory of his traveling home into his mind. The wizard then reluctantly made his way to where the captain was leaning against the bulwark beside the rope ladder draped over the side of the ship.

"What a terrible sight; you're looking all respectable like again, gaki," Jacob complained as he and Gunter fell into step beside Harry. "Just when I thought there was hope for you yet, you go and dash my hopes to pieces."

"You're just jealous that you don't look this good," Harry quipped back with a laugh as he elbowed the older man in the side.

"At least he no longer looks like the drowned rat we picked up back in Portsmouth," Gunter commented with a grin as the three of them came to a stop just a few feet away from the ladder.

"True… he's missing something though," Jacob commented before he reached up and took off the charcoal gray Greek fisherman's hat that he wore. He took a moment to knock the dust free from the hat before he placed it on Harry's head with the brim pointed off to the left and canted at a slight downwards angle. "Much better; now you look like a proper sailor taking a week's shore leave."

"That's your favorite hat," Harry protested weakly as he reached up to give the hat back.

"Keep it kid; it suits you and hopefully each time you wear it, you'll remember all of us trapped here on this dingy old ship," Jacob insisted as he dropped his hand on Harry's head to prevent him from taking off the hat.

"I still think he's missing something," Gunter interjected just a moment later. "Aha! I know; every sailor needs a proper sash to keep his breeches up." Harry snorted but didn't protest as Gunter threaded a bright red sash through his belt loops and tied it so that the ends hung down beside the sheath of Harry's practice sword. "Now he's ready to hit the town."

"Thanks, guys," Harry murmured thickly as he impulsively hugged the two men that had taken him under their wing back in July and became something of a cross between friends and mentors over the course of the voyage. "I'm going to miss you both."

"We'll miss you too, squirt," Jacob remarked with a fond smile. "Make certain you keep up your training; can't have you slacking off and forgetting everything we had to drill into that thick head of yours."

"I will."

"Good! Now get out of here and go show them what you're made of," Gunter ordered as he gave Harry a shove towards the ladder.

Harry laughed as he stepped up beside the captain who clapped him on the back as he ordered, "Take care of yourself out there, gaki; and don't forget that you'll always have a place here on the Kaijinmaru."

"Aye, aye, captain," Harry promised as he grinned up at the man.

"I already informed Gon but I don't know if you intend to travel with the others or not, so I'll tell you as well. When you get into town; head for the giant cedar over yonder. It's a shortcut to where you need to go."

Harry glanced towards the tree in question and nodded before he vaulted over the bulwark and landed on the dock with a soft thump. He glanced back up towards the deck a heartbeat later and waved at the three men peering down at him. The wizard then reluctantly turned away from the ship and made his way along the pier towards the shore. Katzo dashed up to him as he stepped down onto solid ground for the first time since September. The man pressed a boxed meal into Harry's hands and wished him luck before returning to the ship. Harry glanced backwards with a lopsided grin that was more than a little sad as he waved to the others one last time before making his way towards the main thoroughfare.

He made it to the street just in time to see the tall applicant that had arrived on the Kaijinmaru with him take off after Kurapika and the kid in the direction of the cedar. Harry took a few steps in their direction as the captain's advice rang in his ears, only to stop when Flip dropped down onto his left shoulder holding a scrap of paper in his talons. Harry liberated the paper from the eagle and read what was on it before he crossed over to the large map of the island that sat directly across from where he was standing. After studying the map for a moment, Harry decided he'd make his own shortcut to Zaban City (his destination according to the flyer that Flip had brought him).

Harry then ducked into a nearby alley to grab his Firebolt from his mokeskin pouch and tuck the boxed meal Katzo had given him into the pouch before cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm over himself and climbed into his broom. He took a few minutes to apply a light sticking charm to the hat he'd been given (to keep it from getting blown off) and shoo Flip from his shoulder before he shot up into the sky until he was far enough above the ground that he'd be mistaken as a bird if he was still spotted by someone on the ground despite the spell. Flip and Flop both began circling around him a moment later (the two eagles not affected by the spell due to their bond with him).

"Lead the way to Zaban City, you two," Harry ordered after taking a moment to simply enjoy the feeling of being in the air once more.

The trio made it to Zaban City in less than two hours and Harry lazily drifted over the city for several minutes in order to study the layout before he dropped down into another empty alley, returned his broom to his mokeskin pouch, and dropped the spell that had been hiding his presence. Flop dropped down to land on his shoulder at that point and Harry headed for the main thoroughfare while Flip tracked them from the air. As he meandered through the crowded street that was lined with market stalls, Harry studied the people around him in an effort to see if he could spot another applicant that might know where they needed to go next.

He eventually spotted a man that he immediately pegged as a bully striding along purposefully through the crowded street without bothering to glance at the stalls lining the street. The man was rather heavyweight, had short brown hair, wore a sleeveless blue shirt over a long sleeved white shirt and long white pants, and carried a bag strung over his head and right shoulder. Harry followed him along the street from a distance and he soon led the wizard to a large courtyard before he lost him in the crowds that filled the area.

Clicking his tongue impatiently, Harry studied the surrounding buildings trying to determine which one he would have been most likely to enter based upon his previous path before he systematically began checking all of the buildings when he couldn't pinpoint a clear destination. After well over three hours of fruitless searching (the time spent wandering inside of a number of different buildings), Harry huffed under his breath before he sent Flip and Flop to look for clues to where he needed to go next while he made his way to a small restaurant tucked in between two rather huge buildings.

He entered the door and paused for a moment to give his glasses time to adjust to the change in light before he studied the customers seated about the dining area. Harry then made his way over to the bar that was butted right up against the open kitchen and took a seat as he studied the menu on the back wall. The wizard eventually ordered a large soda and a light snack to take the edge off of his hunger while he gave his feathered companions time to search.

Over the course of the next hour, Harry absently noted the steady inflow of small groups of customers coming in and very few of them leaving despite the fact that the restaurant never actually filled up. Once he realized something was going on, Harry started paying closer attention to the groups that came in and directly addressed the chef on duty rather than sitting down at a table. It didn't take him long to figure out that the spokesperson for each group ordered the exact same thing (though the number of orders they placed varied based upon the number of other individuals in the group) before vanishing into the 'back room' and that only the spokesman would return a few minutes later and leave.

Harry snorted to himself under his breath after he started taking a closer look at the people that made up the groups and found that he'd stumbled upon the entrance to the gathering point for the Hunter Exam applicants by sheer dumb luck. The teen finished his food and left the restaurant after that revelation. He then whistled for Flip and Flop to return to him before he ducked into another darkened alley. While he waited for his eagles, Harry dug his invisibility cloak out and draped it over his arm before he cast a Muffling Charm and a Notice-Me-Not Charm over himself.

He would place the same charms over the two birds (keyed to him so he wouldn't be caught by the spells and lose track of them since he couldn't quite sense them the way they could sense him) the moment they landed on their preferred perches before drawing the invisibility cloak over all three of them. The fifteen year old then made his way back to the restaurant and waited for the next obvious Hunter applicant to arrive so he could follow him (or her) inside. He didn't have to wait very long as a hard looking woman with long scarlet hair tied back in a messy ponytail with a yellow bow wearing large sunglasses and carrying a rifle on her back approached accompanied by a rather forgettable looking man that Harry thought he recognized as one of the earlier spokesmen.

Harry slipped inside of the restaurant on the heels of the pair, listened to the man give the password yet again, and then followed them into the backroom which turned out to be a lift that would drop them down a hundred stories beneath the surface. The spokesman left at that point, leaving Harry alone with the woman as the lift began moving. Once they reached the bottom, Harry let the woman exit first before he slipped out after her and found himself in an underground tunnel that kind of reminded him of the Chamber of Secrets.

There were well over seventy other applicants already standing or sitting around in the tunnel; including the fat man that Harry had been following earlier. His attention was then returned to the woman he'd snuck in behind as she was addressed by a short green… being and handed a badge with the number eighty printed on it. A glance around at the other applicants showed that they too had been handed a badge and Harry assumed that the numbers on the badge represented the order in which they had arrived; that theory was confirmed when the next sixteen people to exit the lift after Harry were given tags with ascending numbers.

After number ninety-six accepted his tag, Harry pulled off his cloak and made certain no one was paying any attention to him before he dropped the spells on him (leaving the two birds safely hidden) before approaching the green man-being to receive a badge. He received number ninety-seven after the man got over his surprise at Harry's sudden appearance as the man (or was he a sentient magical being?) had not seen him arrive (not unexpected since Harry had snuck in).

The wizard then took the first opportunity to disappear beneath his cloak once again and reapply the spells when Harry noticed the bully he'd followed earlier making his way over to him. The fifteen year old had no desire to be the man's target though and had used the crowd to vanish; literally. Harry had then climbed up onto the pipes that ran across the ceiling of the tunnel and made himself comfortable as he waited for the Exam to start.

As he waited, Harry caught a small glimpse of a white haired kid joining those underground just twenty minutes after he had taken his badge. Harry was tempted to go introduce himself to yet another kid taking the Exam but in the end decided to remain where he was due to the bully from earlier approaching the younger boy; Harry still had no desire to have a run in with the obvious bully.

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**Translations:** Japanese to English

Gaki – brat

**Definitions:** Nautical Terms

Boom – a type of spar along the bottom edge of a fore and aft rigged sail (a sail that sits along the line of the keel instead of perpendicular to it).  
Carrack – is a three or four-masted ship that was developed in the fourteen hundreds by the Portuguese  
Disembarkation – the process of disembarking; to get out of a vehicle or craft or to go ashore  
Hatch – the door or covering through which one accesses the lower decks (the opening itself called the hatchway)  
Shore leave – a sailor's landside vacation

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	8. Under x Over x Through

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Eight: Under x Over x Through

After the first two hours of waiting, Harry grew bored and dug into his portable library in order to grab a book to read; this time he selected the Dueler's Grimoire. He also pulled out the boxed meal that Katzo had given to him as he was growing hungry again. Harry opened the box to find several small loaves of fresh bread (sliced in half lengthwise), a selection of sliced meats and cheeses, several apples, a large packet of smoked salmon, a crock of butter patties, and a bottle of orange juice; Katzo had packed him enough food for at least three meals plus something for the matching menaces (the older man had probably thought that Harry had no edible supplies on hand).

Harry smiled at the man's thoughtfulness as he built himself a buttered roast beef and Swiss cheese sandwich. Flip and Flop happily accepted two strips of dried salmon each that they ripped to shreds and devoured while Harry slowly worked his way through his sandwich and read through the introduction of the Dueler's Grimoire. Every so often, the teen would pull his eyes away from his book to scan the growing crowd below in order to assess the other applicants that had reached the starting point of the Exam. He was not surprised to find a large number of sadistic bullies, ruthless criminals, skilled assassins, and other powerful individuals mingling and meandering about the sealed off section of underground tunnel.

He knew, just by watching them, that most of the individuals gathered were all dangerous people in their own rights and he wondered how he was going to hold his own when he was surrounded by people that wouldn't hesitate to kill or maim their competition. While he had been rather ignorant of what was involved in the Hunter's Exam when he first boarded the Kaijinmaru back in June, he had learned enough from the crew and various applicants aboard the ship to know that there was a fierce competition involved since so few Hunter Licenses were actually awarded each year. He also knew that rookie applicants stood far less of a chance of passing the Exam than those that had participated in at least two or three exams.

A fierce grin slid across Harry's face as he felt his Gryffindor side clamoring for the thrill of the challenge while his no longer buried Slytherin side urged him to proceed with caution. His recently awakened Ravenclaw side wasn't silent either, as that part of him analyzed his fellow applicants and listed off the spells that would be most useful in any number of dangerous situations. His inner Hufflepuff was currently napping after all of the hard work he'd put into his training over the past six months but he'd add in his two cents on the matter later.

When his inner clock let him know that it was supper time (and therefore after nightfall), Harry slipped off his pack and dug into his portable larder to grab something a bit more substantial to eat than another sandwich. He did give the two eagles the remainder of the dried salmon though, before he tucked the rest of what Katzo had given him into the trunk so that it would not spoil. After he'd eaten, Harry spent another hour reading before he turned in for the night; trusting Flip and Flop to wake him if trouble came looking for him or if the Exam started sometime during the night.

Unlike the majority of applicants crowded into the tunnel, Harry slept peacefully through the night as he didn't have to worry about being attacked while his eyes were closed.

He woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and spent the first two hours of the day underground exercising; running through the various exercises that Jacob and Gunter had taught him (bar those that required equipment he didn't have on hand). After that he ate breakfast and fed the birds before he spent another hour reading while his food was digested. He then spent half of the morning teaching himself a few of the more interesting dueling spells he'd found in the Dueler's Grimoire (which only involved memorizing the incantations and wand movements for now; he'd practice casting the spells when there was less of a chance of drawing attention to himself).

The rest of the morning was then spent pranking a number of the applicants below alongside of Flip and Flop; teaching the birds how to play a new version I-Spy. The idea of the game was for the two birds to steal the item that Harry picked out based upon the little hints he gave the two birds. Retrievals of incorrect guesses earned each bird a thirty second penalty in which they had to sit facing the wall (so they couldn't search for the item) and correct guesses earned them a treat. Needless to say, all three of them enjoyed the game as they sewed confusion amongst the crowd below and irritated the selected targets (each one of them bullies) to no end.

The game also honed the two eagles' skills; training them to recognize targets with very little information, improving the timing, speed, and accuracy of their attacks, and helping them learn how to move more effectively in places with limited space.

When the two birds got tired, Harry skipped lunch to practice his sword stances and forms, gymnastics, and acrobatics to help him get used to moving about in his dueling cloak while wearing his pack after he removed his invisibility cloak (but left the spells hiding him in place). He'd only been practicing for an hour when his fellow passengers from the Kaijinmaru arrived. Harry was actually kind of glad he'd not followed them to the cedar based on how exhausted and battered they looked upon arriving. Knowing that they'd not have that good of a chance of passing the Exam if they didn't have the energy to finish, Harry dug into his pack and pulled out the boxed food Katzo had given him and added three bottles of water, a bit more meat, a couple of oranges, and a tin of biscuits to the box.

He then scribbled a quick note onto the outside of the box, tied the box closed with a bit of rope, handed it to Flop, and dropped the spells hiding the larger male so that he could deliver the box to Kurapika. Harry sniggered into his hands when Flop's sudden appearance startled more than a few of the applicants as he swooped down from the pipes. Kurapika immediately recognized the sea eagle and glanced about in surprise even as he held up his arm for the large bird to perch on. The blond then took the package from the eagle before shifting Flop to his shoulder when it became apparent that the bird had no intention of leaving.

Harry knew the exact instant that Kurapika had read the note he'd written as the other teen had burst out laughing before he opened the box and divided the food and water between the three of them. The wizard considered joining the three of them until he noticed the fat bully he'd followed the previous day accosting the group (the man apparently making the rounds amongst the applicants). Figuring that he could catch up with his former sparring partner later, Harry resumed his training while keeping a small part of his attention on the applicants below since he hoped that the Exam might start soon.

The fifteen year old had actually long since finished his training and had pulled out _Treasure Island_ to pass the time when the examiner finally arrived to start the Exam.

Three hours after Kurapika and the other two arrived, a funny sounding buzzer began sounding and the moment it cut off a dull rumble filled the room as the stone wall opposite of the elevator entrance began rising up into the ceiling to reveal an odd looking man with short purple hair that flared out slightly at the bottom, a thin dark brown mustache that curled up at the ends, and no apparent mouth.

Harry couldn't decide if the new guy was weirder looking than the little green man that had handed out the badges or not. Shaking away his musings, Harry focused on what the man was saying as he explained that the entrance period for new applicants had ended and that the exam had officially started (though how he could talk with no mouth was a complete mystery).

"Who are you?" one of the applicants demanded once the man had finished his short speech.

"I am Satotz, the Phase One Examiner; you must follow me to reach Phase Two. This is the exam's First Phase," the mouthless man stated as he began leading the other applicants deeper into the tunnel.

Harry dithered on his perch upon the pipe for a few minutes before he took out his broom again and flew after the group with Flip perched in the handle behind him near the bristles; keeping well above the rest of the applicants' heads while staying low enough to avoid running into anything hanging down or protruding from the ceiling. Just a few minutes after Harry caught up to the group, the man started moving faster, forcing everyone to start running in order to keep up with him and Harry was glad he'd chosen to fly since he wouldn't fancy getting knocked down and trampled over by the other applicants.

Flop joined him for a moment before he sent the larger eagle to keep pace with the examiner so that the eagle could visibly mark the man (so Harry wouldn't lose sight of the man). After the first two hours of straight flying at such slow speeds, Harry began to grow bored. He was tempted to race on ahead of the entire group but with the number of side tunnels he's seen opening up off of the main tunnel that they were being led down, he couldn't risk missing a turn off and being disqualified because he got lost and couldn't keep up.

So, after some fancy spell work and precise timing to allow Flip and Flop to switch places (so the larger male could rest for a bit) he began lapping the crowd; flying up one side and back down the other. The tight turns needed to turn around in the tunnel without losing any speed needing his full attention in order to avoid crashing into the walls so he had to pay attention to what he was doing.

Sometime after the third hour, Harry finally began to notice that people were dropping behind and dropping to the floor in exhaustion (their stamina and endurance far too low). Harry briefly wondered if the examiners would consider his flying through the task to be cheating before he recalled that the man had only said that they needed to follow him; he didn't say they had to run after him. A glance below to see the white haired kid that he'd had noticed the night before riding a skateboard made Harry feel even less guilty.

He then marveled at the idea of two kids taking the Hunter's Exam and he wondered what their reasons for seeking their Hunter's License were. Despite sailing with the dark haired kid for two weeks, Harry hadn't had any chances to really interact with him due to the severe storm they'd been caught up in, the days he'd spent sleeping off his exhaustion, and the fact that he'd spent most of his last days aboard the carrack holed up in his tent or hanging out with the crew. Heck, he didn't even know the kid's name (not that he knew the tall man's name either and he'd been aboard the ship even longer).

His thoughts turned introspective at that point as Harry recalled the four years he'd attended Hogwarts and the various misadventures he'd been through during those years. Looking back now, he wondered how the hell he'd even survived to reach his fifteenth birthday due to some of the seriously deadly situations he'd been caught up in. The basilisk and the bloody Tournament in particular had come the closest to killing him. That knowledge made him wonder if that had been Dumbledore intentions all along; the bearded berk wanted him dead, after all, and what better way to kill him off than to have Harry get involved in any dangerous situations that arose.

Harry pushed aside his musings after a while so he could once more focus on his surroundings and resume his laps around the applicants below. Every two hours, he'd have Flip and Flop switch places so they could alternately rest to conserve their energy even though he knew they could fly for long stretches time without stopping. He didn't want to risk either of them growing exhausted though since he really had no idea what else he would be facing over the course of the Exam.

At the eight hour mark, the underground tunnel turned into an underground staircase that Harry assumed led up towards the surface and he wondered if they were getting close to the end of the First Phase. Ceasing his endless circling, Harry flew up to pace the examiner as he studied the staircase for as far as he could see. He then glanced down and to the side of him to study Satotz; noting that the man hadn't slowed his pace once and that he was neither flagging nor sweating despite the fact that he had been running for eight hours just like all of the applicants. Harry then glanced back up to the stairs rising in front of him as the man increased the pace out of the blue.

Five minutes later, Harry left Flop to pace the examiner and shot ahead to see where the stairs led. It only took a matter of seconds for Harry to reach the Firebolt's maximum speed of one hundred and fifty miles per hour and the staircase tunnel became nothing but a blur of dark gray and red as he rocketed past the red emergency lights that lit the tunnel. He exploded out into the starlit night quite unexpectedly some twenty minutes later and Harry pulled up to a stop before he got himself lost over the shadow and fog bathed wilderness that spread out around him.

He took a minute to shake away the knowledge that he'd have turned himself into a Harry pancake if he'd run into a wall at the top of the tunnel instead of a large doorway before he dropped back down to circle around the building that housed the underground staircase. Knowing he'd traveled at least fifty miles in the past twenty minutes, Harry soon realized that it would be several hours before the examiner or any of the applicants caught up to him (if they didn't deviate from their current pace and path).

Having no desire to return to the tunnel or sit out in the open, he quickly decided to set up his tent so that he could grab something to eat, take a quick shower, and contact Dobby to pass along an update to Bill because he wasn't certain he wanted to send off either of the eagles during the middle of the Exam since they were proving to be very helpful. Before he did that, He sent Flip to join Flop in pacing Satotz, so that if the man changed direction before reaching the exit point, one of them could come fetch Harry and lead him to the new path.

Once the eagle was gone, Harry dropped down to land on top of the building that housed the stairs and set up his tent on the flat roof; taking the time to set up a ring of rocks spelled with the Notice-Me-Not Charm to prevent anyone from noticing the tent. Leaving the flap open, so Flip or Flop could enter the tent if they turned up to fetch him, Harry removed the spells that had been hiding him and dropped his broom and pack beside the door where they would be ready and waiting if he had to leave in a hurry. He then stripped out of his clothes and took a shower first before he fixed himself a hot meal and a cup of tea.

The wizard would then spend the next five hours cat napping after he had asked Dobby to pass along his message to Bill about him being out of touch for the duration of the Exam (unless an emergency cropped up). At the end of those five hours, Harry got dressed in a clean change of clothes, packed a light breakfast for later in his mokeskin pouch, and packed up his tent in anticipation of the other applicants reaching him within the hour (if they had kept to the increased pace that Satotz had set). He then recast the spells to hide his presence before he began his morning exercises as the gloom around him began lightening with the rising sun.

Fifteen minutes later, Flip and Flop burst forth from the opening below him followed by the sound of one familiar voice and one unfamiliar voice crying out triumphantly in stereo. Leaning down over the edge of the building, Harry quickly spotted the two youngest applicants descending into an argument about which one of them had reached the finish line first. Harry was half tempted to drop down and tell them both that he'd beat them by at least six hours but he didn't think that would go over well with Satotz; who just happened to be watching the pair argue.

The wizard about fell off the roof laughing when the kids demanded the examiner settle their argument and the man declared the race a tie; the reactions of the two kids over that reply were absolutely hilarious. Harry was still laughing silently when he returned to his morning training as applicants continued to stagger out of the tunnel over the course of the next three hours while Flip and Flop napped after their long night. The door to the tunnel then slammed shut at exactly nine o'clock just as Harry was finishing the breakfast he'd packed himself earlier; locking anyone that had not made it out before then inside of the tunnel.

Harry's attention was soon drawn to Satotz at that point as the man raised his voice just enough so that everyone could hear him as he revealed that the First Phase was not yet over.

"Welcome to the Numere Wetlands also known as Swindler's Swamp," Satotz stated as he gestured to the lowlands behind him as the fog shifted and swirled. "In order to participate in the Second Phase, you must follow me through the wetlands. It is imperative that you remain alert as we cross through the swamp because this place is home to many strange and dangerous creatures that will prey upon the humans that fall into their clever traps. If you wish to survive the crossing, you will need to stay close to me as I lead you to the Second Phase."

Before Harry could decide on whether or not he'd fly through this part of the task as well, there was a commotion below as a man attempted to accuse Satotz of being an impostor as he dragged a humanoid creature into view that looked remarkably like Satotz. Harry knew just from looking at the man that he was not only lying but that he wasn't even human due to the hungry look Harry could see in the man's eyes and the way his two eagles had bristled the moment the man had appeared. There were a number of individuals in the crowd of applicants below that obviously believed the impostor though and just when it looked like the group would be split in two; one of the other applicants attacked both the examiner and the impostor with what looked like playing cards.

The impostor dropped dead seconds later while Satotz blocked the attack by catching the cards. The fifteen year old couldn't stop the shiver that ran up and down his spine as he stared down at the man dressed as a jester; there was just something about the older man that screamed _danger_ to the wizard (in much the same way as Voldemort's presence had screamed _danger_ after he'd risen from the cauldron in the graveyard).

"Do you understand?" Satotz asked as he moved through the crowd to stand over the dead impostor; his voice drawing Harry's attention away from the applicant wearing the number forty-four. "If you can not keep up with me as we pass through the Numere Wetlands, then you will not live to reach the exam's Second Phase. Now, please follow me."

Harry mounted his broom as the man headed straight into the mist filled swamp and softly instructed both Sea Eagles to perch on the back of his broom so they could continue to rest (making certain to recast the needed spells to hide them from the others) before he hurried to catch up with the examiner. It took all of Harry's self control not to turn around and play savior when the first screams began ringing out as the inhabitants of the swamp attacked the applicants. He knew that by the time he reached the people screaming, they'd either already be dead or he'd just get himself lost in the low fog that clung to the wetlands.

There was also the fact that most of the applicants were more than capable of taking care of themselves or they would not have made it this far. He also knew that the applicants would have scattered across the area enough that it would be impossible to save them all and he'd just end up getting himself caught by one of the creatures that lived in the swamp if he lost sight of Satotz. The Gryffindor in him railed against his decision while both his Slytherin and Ravenclaw sides smothered the Gryffindor's protests with their sense of self-preservation and logic.

If not for the six months he'd spent on the Kaijinmaru growing up and learning self-worth, he might have gone back to save as many people as possible despite knowing it would mean failing the Exam or dying. After all, it was one thing to risk his life to save the crew he'd lived and worked with for six months and a completely different matter to risk his life for complete strangers that wouldn't hesitate to slit his throat if his death would gain them an advantage.

To block out the screams ringing in his ears, Harry focused all of his attention on flying directly over the examiner and avoiding all of the obstacles that cropped up as he flew through the fog; namely tree branches, flying creatures, and the fog itself obscuring his vision. More than once, Harry wished he'd learned how to cast a tracking spell as he could have placed one on Satotz to keep track of the man and then he could have followed the man from a far safer height. At least they were traveling at a slow enough pace that Harry could easily avoid anything that popped up in his path (providing that he was paying attention to where he was flying).

Near one in the afternoon, Flip and Flop woke up and took turns hunting the birds that made their home in Swindler's Swamp; one of them flying beside Harry at all times while the other hunted and ate until they'd both managed to eat their fill. As the afternoon waned, the terrain slowly began changing as the invisible path that Satotz was following began rising in elevation until they began moving out of the swamp lands and into the lush forest that bordered the Numere Wetlands. The improved visibility as they rose above the level of the clouds allowed Harry to relax enough to scan his surroundings as well as to take note of the leading line of applicants; most of whom were a good twenty meters behind the long-legged examiner.

The steady descent of the sun began to worry Harry though, since it would be far too dangerous to risk flying through the forest at night because it would be far harder to pick out the low hanging tree branches. It turned out that Harry didn't need to worry about flying in the dark though because Satotz came to a stop at long last within a few meters of a towering wall that cut through the forest and turned around to face the direction he'd come from in order to await the applicants. Letting out a soft sigh of relief, Harry dropped down into the forest out of sight and quickly packed away his broom, ended the spells hiding him and his feathered friends, and made his way to where Satotz was waiting at a leisurely stroll several minutes before any of the other applicants arrived.

"Does this mark the end of the First Phase now or are you just taking another short break like you did after exiting the tunnel?" Harry inquired as Flip and Flop dropped down to perch on his left and right shoulder respectively the moment he stopped just a short distance away from the Hunter that he'd been following for over thirty-six hours.

"This is the end of the First Phase, the Second Phase will be taking place just on the other side of the gates," Satotz replied as he scrutinized Harry for several minutes.

"That is excellent news, my companions and I were getting rather bored," Harry replied cheekily as he grinned up at the man. "Could you please tell me how much time we'll have until the next Phase begins?"

"The rest of the applicants will have until sunrise tomorrow morning to join us if they wish to pass the First Phase."

"Thank you, sir," Harry murmured as he moved off to find a place to set up a temporary camp so he could fix himself supper and let his eagles rest through the night as the leading group of applicants arrived.

More than a few surprised, confused, and frustrated glances were cast in Harry's direction as he cheerfully whistled a jaunty tune while he set up his tent and unpacked some of his camping equipment (something he did mostly just for appearance's sake). Eighteen minutes later, Flip and Flop were fast asleep on their individual perches (which now sported fancy brass name plates courtesy of Dobby) and Harry was seated out in front of his tent tending to a cheerful little blaze that was burning away in the small bowl shaped barbecue that he had found in his supplies. Sitting beside him, two thick porterhouse steaks were marinating in steak sauce in a bowl beside a foil wrapped potato, a sauce pan, the ingredients needed to make brown gravy, and a tin kettle filled with water to make a pot of fresh tea.

Longing glances were cast in his direction by the other applicants shortly after he placed his steaks on the grill; the scent of cooking beef carrying on the light breeze. He was given more than a few dirty, resentful looks by those that sought to buy, beg, or steal his food from him; though the applicants were discouraged from actually attacking and harming him by Satotz's presence (the Hunter had made it known that attacking another applicant at this stage in the Exams would see them disqualified). So Harry enjoyed a relatively peaceful meal and tormented his fellow applicants at the same time as he savored each and every bite of both steaks and his gravy smothered baked potato (the bones from his meat being set aside for his eagles to pick clean later).

The wizard then removed the grill from his barbecue and tossed on several small dead branches he'd gathered earlier and sprawled out beside the barbecue turned campfire with a book to kill a few hours; the teen enjoying the chance to have a proper camp out for the first time in his life. By that time, the other applicants had taken to ignoring Harry as they either hunted for food in the surrounding forest or claimed a spot to sleep while they could. When the fifteen year old grew bored with reading, he put away his book and dug out a long metal skewer, a bag of marshmallows, a pack of graham crackers, and several bars of Honeydukes' best dark chocolate in order to make s'mores (a rather tasty treat that Gunter had introduced him several months ago).

This time, the scent of warm sugar and chocolate lured a particularly stubborn individual to Harry's little camp. The white haired kid with the skateboard seated himself on said skateboard just a few feet away from Harry without a word. Harry only glanced at him once before he returned his attention to the marshmallow currently puffing up and browning on his skewer. When Harry lifted the swollen treat from the fire and removed it from the skewer using a pair of graham cracker halves with a piece of chocolate set on one side, he felt the kid's eyes following his every move even as a loud stomach growl sounded from the boy.

Harry couldn't resist smirking when he caught sight of the kid drooling from the corner of his eyes as Harry smashed the now gooey marshmallow between the crackers and chocolate. He nearly snickered out loud when the kid let out a quiet moan when Harry bit into the surgery sandwich and got marshmallow and chocolate stuck to the left side of his mouth as the inside of the sandwich oozed out over the side. He took his time finishing the treat and cleaning every last bit of chocolate and marshmallow from his fingers and face before he skewered another marshmallow and held it out over the fire.

"I'm Killua," the kid finally ventured as he composed himself when he finally realized he had been drooling.

"I would have said you were rude," Harry quipped in return as he glanced over at the kid again.

"Why?" Killua asked in honest confusion.

"You didn't ask for permission to join me before you sat down at my fire," Harry dryly pointed out.

"Oh; I didn't think you'd mind if I shared the fire."

Harry snorted as he rotated his marshmallow before retorting, "It's not the fire you want to share and we both know it."

"Was I that obvious?"

"Yes."

"Will you share with me?"

"No."

"I'll pay you."

"Ah, in that case; the answer is definitely no."

"I'll tell Satotz that you attacked me and get you disqualified," Killua threatened petulantly.

"No you won't."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because getting me kicked out of the Exam would mean that I'd be taking my marshmallows and my campfire with me when I leave and you still wouldn't get any of my s'mores."

"Damn."

Harry smirked at the now pouting kid before he set about making his roasted marshmallow into a s'more. He was just getting ready to devour the treat when Killua addressed him again.

"You know, you're being rather rude yourself right now."

"Is that so?"

"Yep; you never introduced yourself to me after I gave you my name."

"You don't say…"

"You're also eating in front of a guest without sharing," Killua smugly pointed out.

"An uninvited guest looking for handouts," Harry fired right back.

"Two wrongs don't make a right."

"I was taught to never offer food to a stray because it will never leave once it knows you'll feed it."

"You're mean," Killua complained as he crossed his arms and pouted again. "And you still haven't told me your name."

"James," Harry grudgingly provided before he turned his attention back to his now cold s'more.

"That's funny; I would have said you were annoying."

"I do aim to please."

"No you don't; else you'd be willing to share."

"Yes I do; just because I'm not pleasing you, doesn't mean that I'm not pleasing myself."

"I hate you."

"And yet you are still sitting in the middle of my camp."

"I'm starving."

"There's an entire forest full of game and edible plants at your back."

"I don't know how to cook."

"Not everything edible in the forest requires cooking."

"You'd send a twelve year old out into a dangerous forest in the middle of the night all alone when he's exhausted and delirious with hunger?"

"You're a persistent little pest; I'll give you that," Harry groused as he finally ate the cold s'more he'd been holding in his hand.

"Does that mean you'll share now?"

"Nope."

"Please…?" Killua begged as the kid gave Harry a puppy-eyed look.

Harry's resolve crumbled the moment he looked into those pleading blue eyes while his inner Hufflepuff was quick to point out that the kid had at least used the word 'please' this time. Sighing, he tossed the brat one of the unopened packs of crackers, a bar of chocolate, and another skewer as he stated, "Fine; but you're roasting your own marshmallows."

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**Definitions:** Nautical Terms

Carrack – is a three or four-masted ship that was developed in the fourteen hundreds by the Portuguese

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	9. A x Distasteful x Task

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Nine: A x Distasteful x Task

Harry and Killua sat beside the fire chatting as they roasted marshmallows and baked cored apples with butter, sugar, and cinnamon in the coals until midnight; the two of them quickly growing comfortable with one another's presence once their small battle of wills had ended. They even bonded a bit over the fact that they'd found the First Phase of the Exam rather boring (though Harry didn't admit that his boredom had been due to the fact that he'd flown through the entire marathon). Near midnight, both boys were feeling rather tired and Harry dug out a couple of extra blankets that he let Killua borrow for the night while he used the sleeping bag Bill had purchased for him; the wizard chose not to sleep inside of the tent in case he missed the start of the second task.

He would rise about an hour before dawn; the newness of sleeping out beneath the stars while surrounded by a bunch of strangers making for a less than restful nap. Harry immediately set about cleaning up his camp and putting away the things he'd used the night before; taking the cold barbecue into the tent to vanish the ashes before packing it away. The next thing he did was pick out a selection of fruits and scones for breakfast; making certain to grab enough to share with Killua. The last thing he did before he packed up his tent, was to wake Flip and Flop so he could shoo them outside (unsure whether or not it would be safe for them to travel inside of the tent while it was packed up).

By the time he finished that, most of the applicants that had made it to the gates were awake (if they'd slept at all) and the sky was beginning to lighten as the sun began to peak over the horizon; Killua included. Harry tossed the kid a couple of plums and a scone once he'd gotten his attention (the twelve year old had been in the middle of a staring contest with both eagles).

Killua had the nerve to give him a cheeky grin as he caught the flying food and Harry made it a point mention that he'd always had a soft spot for strays; prompting the younger boy to stick his tongue out at Harry. The wizard laughed as he stretched for a few minutes before he started his morning exercises. Harry had barely finished two sets of jumping jacks when he heard a familiar voice addressing him.

"So I wasn't imagining things back in the tunnel; you really are taking the Exam, James," Kurapika declared with a bit of surprise as the blond walked up to Harry with the other two passengers from the Kaijinmaru tagging along behind him. "I never once thought you were one of the applicants in all the time that I was sparring with you; I thought you were part of the Kaijinmaru's crew."

"Oh, you made it, Gon," Killua interjected before Harry could reply to Kurapika; the white-haired boy bounding over to the other kid's side (letting Harry know that it was the kid whose name was Gon, and not the tall man.

"Nah, I wasn't part of the crew; I just helped out in exchange for the training they were giving me and to keep from growing bored during the voyage," Harry stated before he turned to the taller man; his eyes taking in the swollen bruise marring the right side of the man's face. "I don't think you and I were ever introduced during the voyage; I'm James."

"Leorio," the taller man replied with some slight difficulty due to the tightness of the swelling on his right check.

"I have some numbing cream that you can use to dull the pain and reduce the swelling; if your injury is bothering you."

Leorio appeared taken aback for a moment before he offered Harry a pained grin as he replied, "I would have settled for a bag of ice if you had offered it but that cream sounds even better; especially since ice would be a bit difficult to get right about now."

Harry snorted in amusement as he wondered how Leorio would react if Harry grabbed him a bag of ice out of the frozen section of his portable larder as he dug into the potion storage section of his trunk to grab a jar of bruise balm from the top shelf (the external cream one of the few medicinal potions that didn't require a person to have a magical core to use; it would just take longer for the cream to heal the bruise without the internal magic to speed up the process). He tossed the jar to the man before he locked up his trunk, slipped his pack onto his back, and gestured for Flip and Flop to take their usual perches as he noted all of the applicants gathering around Satotz.

"You only need to use enough to lightly coat the entire bruise," Harry instructed Leorio as the three of them followed Killua and Gon over to where the rest of the applicants were milling about. The man nodded and quickly followed Harry's instructions before attempting to pass the jar back to the wizard. Harry shook his head and stated, "You can go ahead and keep that jar; I have plenty more in my pack. You'll need to reapply the cream every six to eight hours until the bruise is gone anyway."

"Thanks," Leorio replied as he stowed the jar in his briefcase.

Nothing more was said as the trio turned their attention to the examiner as Satotz started speaking the moment everyone had given him their attention, "Those of you who arrived before the sun finished rising have successfully passed the First Phase of this year's Hunter's Exam. The Second Phase of the Exam will be taking place inside of the Visca Forest Park in just a few minutes. I shall be taking my leave now; best of luck to you all."

The First Phase examiner then turned around and strode back towards the Numere Wetlands where he was soon swallowed up by the morning fog. Behind them, the large gates leading into the Forest Park swung open with a loud creak to reveal a huge mansion with a large courtyard filled with cooking stations and barbecues.

Seated on a small couch at the foot of the steps leading up into the mansion was a young woman with teal colored hair that was pulled up into five ponytails that were wrapped round with pink ribbons and wearing skimpy shorts, a black bra under a see through midriff shirt, and knee high boots. Sitting on the ground right behind her was a huge, barefoot man that reminded Harry of Hagrid (only far rounder and clean shaven) and he couldn't help but wonder if the man was part giant like Hagrid as well.

"Welcome to the Second Phase of the two hundred eighty-seventh Hunter's Exam," the woman called out as she draped her arms over the back of the couch; an action that drew the eyes of almost every male present to her chest (the three youngest applicants not interested in her physical attributes – Harry had not yet completely recovered from Jacob and Gunter's traumatizing sex-talk and the other two were still in the girls were icky stage). "Will everyone please step inside of the gates? Thank you! My name is Menchi and I am the Second Phase examiner."

"And I am Buhara, the other Second Phase examiner," the man added with a childish grin as he cheerfully waved at the applicants.

As Menchi explained their next test, grumbles and complaints could be heard from the majority of the applicants and Harry grimaced in distaste at the thought of being judged on his cooking; something that reminded him far too much of the times that Aunt Petunia had stood over him and breathed down his neck as he cooked for the Dursleys. More than one person laughed when the woman declared herself and her partner as Gourmet Hunters but Harry only grew gloomier when the mocking laughter ignited the woman's temper.

The resulting argument between applicants and examiner only ended when the woman declared that they either took her test or they failed and tried again another year. All of the applicants abruptly fell silent in response to that threat. Menchi glared at all of the applicants one last time before she listed the rules for the task. The moment she finished, Buhara named the main ingredient that everyone had to use; pork.

The rest of the applicants dashed off immediately to hunt down a pig in the forest and Harry sighed as he tossed his two eagles into the air and instructed the pair to find him a wild pig. He then threw a scowl over his shoulder at the two examiners (for the bad memories they had stirred with their chosen task) before he trotted after Flip and Flop. Thanks to his two companions, Harry was the first one to come across the wild pigs that lived on the reserve and the moment he got a good look at the group of enormous pigs his eagles had led him to, he went from mildly annoyed over the task to highly irritated and he considered hexing the two Gourmet Hunters in tender places in retaliation.

Huffing in annoyance, Harry studied the group of wild pigs until he caught sight of a smallish one that was limping on a twisted foot. He then ordered Flip and Flop to cut his selected target from the group and drive it towards him as he drew his wand so that he could knock the pig out before he slaughtered it (so the creature wouldn't feel any pain). A number of other applicants stumbled upon Harry and the pigs in time to witness the eagles driving the crippled pig right at Harry; who was simply standing with his right arm forward as the wild and angry pig bore down on him.

The pig was only five meters away when he fired off a silent Stunning Spell that hit the animal right in the face and immediately knocked him unconscious (the red light only visible for a split second in the bright light of day). The pig crashed to the ground and skidded to a stop right at Harry's feet to the shock of those who had been watching him (none of them aware of the invisible wand he'd held clutched in his hand). The wizard then drew the dagger that he'd taken from the applicant that had threatened him on his first night aboard the Kaijinmaru (which he'd cleaned and sharpened) and used it to slit the pig's throat before he conjured up a bit of rope (making it look like he pulled it from his pack) and strung the pig up in the nearest tree in order to drain the blood.

Harry made short work of gutting the pig (a task made easy due to the high number of unpleasant detentions he'd had over four years of schooling spent cutting up various potion ingredients under the supervision of Snape). The innards were handed over to the helpful eagles as he'd have had a harder time finding and bringing down his chosen target without their help. He then cast a Featherweight Charm on the pig and hauled it back to the cooking stations where he skinned and butchered the pig; tossing the hide, the legs, and the less desirable cuts of meat into his trunk when no one was looking (Harry intended to use the extra meat to feed the two eagles if they ended up stuck in a place where they couldn't hunt for fresh fish or game).

The fifteen year old then fired up the barbecue provided for the task before he filled a couple of pots full of water from a hosepipe and set them on the stove to heat the water (so he could boil the ribs before barbecuing them). The oven was turned on to three-fifty at that point (to give it time to warm up) and Harry began prepping the pork roasts he planned to make. Once those were tossed into a pan and set in the oven, Harry hunted through the provided supplies for onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, several cans of pineapple chunks, several packs of shish kabob skewers, a bag of pre-made dinner rolls (the latter three all pulled from his trunk), and everything he'd need to make brown gravy, bread the pork chops he was going to make, and season each of the dishes he was making.

By that time, the other applicants began returning with their pigs and Harry was more than a little surprised to see them all start roasting their pigs on the barbecue without even bothering to gut them first. Shaking his head, Harry continued his preparations as he skinned and quartered two of the larger onions, cut the bell peppers into large pieces, opened the cans of pineapple, and washed the potatoes. He then wrapped the potatoes in foil and tucked them into the coals of the barbecue before he began making the shish kabobs; alternately shoving cubed chunks of pork, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pineapple onto the skewers.

Once he finished preparing the shish kabobs, he set them aside to marinate in Worcestershire sauce before he checked on the roasts and boiling ribs. He then mixed the ingredients and spices together for the breading mixture he would use on the pork chops. As soon as the mixture was ready, the chops were promptly breaded on both sides and placed into pans before they joined the roasts in the oven. The burners on the stove were then shut off and the ribs pulled out of the pots, slathered with barbecue sauce, and tossed onto the grill to finish cooking. He took a moment to turn the potatoes over to make certain they cooked evenly before he started cleaning up the messes he'd made while everything cooked.

By this time, several of the other applicants were hauling their roasted pigs up to the examiners and twin cries of pass and fail rang out with each dish presented; Buhara passing everyone and Menchi failing everyone.

Harry watched them for a moment before he focused on the dishes he had cooking; checking the roasts and chops, flipping the ribs over and coating them a second time with barbecue sauce, and preparing the brown gravy. He then placed the shish kabobs onto the barbecue and pulled the potatoes out of the coals. The pork chops were pulled out next while the roasts were basted and turned. Harry then turned back to rotate the shish kabobs and pulled the ribs off the grill. The roasts were brought out just a few minutes later and set off to one side to cool a bit before he turned off the oven, set the rolls on a cookie sheet, and popped the rolls into the oven to warm them. He then turned back to the grill to tend the shish kabobs.

By the time Harry had pulled the last kabob off the grill and the tray of rolls from the oven, all of the other applicants had been failed by Menchi and Harry felt his ire growing as the woman took to staring at him as he arranged the different dishes he'd prepared onto the trays he'd found in one of the cupboards of the cooking station. He sliced the roasts and ribs, stacked the pork chops and kabobs, sliced open the baked potatoes, and poured the steaming gravy into a gravy boat that was placed in the center of a ring made from the potatoes and rolls.

Quick Featherweight Charms and weak Sticking Charms were applied to the three trays once he was finished preparing them. He then balanced the tray of bread and potatoes on his head, grabbed a tray of meat with each hand, and carried the trays up to the table where Menchi and Buhara were waiting for him before he stepped back to wait for his dishes to be judged. Buhara was mostly stuffed but the moment he saw what had been placed in front of him he reached for it only for Menchi to slap his hand away and tell him to wait a moment.

The teal haired woman studied each tray critically before she looked up to study Harry for a long moment. She then picked up one of the shish kabobs and pulled a chunk of grilled pork from the skewer. She chewed the piece of meat carefully before eating a chunk of bell pepper and pineapple together followed by a second bite of pork. Menchi then set the skewer aside before she told Buhara that he could have the rest of the kabobs. The large man gave a cry of joy before he began rapidly stripping each skewer with a single bite and promptly proclaimed the dish delicious after he'd stripped kabob number ten.

Menchi in the mean time had picked up a rib and daintily bit into the tender barbecued slathered meat. She'd not even bothered to take a second bite before she pushed the tray closer to Buhara to let him know he could finish off the ribs alongside of the kabobs as she used her fork to cut a chunk from the smallest pork chop and sampled it next. Harry was starting to grow antsy by this time due to the woman's continued silence and the fingers on his right hand twitched as the urge to hex her grew stronger.

Unexpectedly, a pleased hum was heard from the finicky woman just when Harry's temper was about to get the best of him and Menchi ate the rest of the pork chop before turning the tray so she could sample a slice of the roast pork. She ignored the potatoes and rolls entirely as she ate three slices of the roast pork before she shoved the two final trays of food over to Buhara (who had by that time proclaimed the ribs delicious), daintily wiped her mouth with a napkin, and leaned back in her seat as she pinned Harry with sharp eyes and addressed him for the first time.

"Number ninety-seven, you are an interesting individual; I think I like you. With skills like yours, you could be a great Gourmet Hunter. Out of all the applicants participating in the Second Phase, you are the only one that truly understood the task. However, you still need more training; you're roasts were slightly under-cooked, the ribs were drowned out by the barbecue sauce, and the kabobs unimpressive. So, therefore I will give you the honor of becoming my apprentice."

Incised by the woman's audacity in telling him what he was going to do with his life, the way she nitpicked his cooking (in the same way that his aunt had), and still annoyed by the entire task, Harry clenched his teeth and hissed out an irritated, "No."

"What do you mean; no?" Menchi heatedly demanded as she scowled at Harry.

Harry drew himself up to his full height and gave the woman a level four sneer (the one that said; congratulations, your level of intelligence has just been ranked below that of a retarded mountain troll) as he sarcastically replied, "The use of the word 'no' in the English language is an indication of a negative response. Synonyms of the word 'no' include nay, negative, and refusal amongst others. Need I go on?"

The woman spluttered angrily for several seconds before she angrily asked, "Do you have any idea how many four and five star chefs out there would kill to have the opportunity to become my apprentice!?"

"Do I look like I care?" Harry retorted as he folded his arms across his chest.

Harry was forced to dodge a fist two seconds later as Buhara attempted to punch him in response to Menchi's growing anger; the teen back flipping away several times before he settled into a defensive stance as he pulled out both his wand and Gryffindor's sword in response to the threat. His magic thrummed beneath his skin due to how angry he was and his eyes glittered with golden dust motes as he glared at both examiners.

"You didn't need to interfere, Buhara," Menchi huffed a moment later as she crossed her arms over her bosom and glared at Harry in return.

"I was worried that you would kill him for insulting you like that," Buhara replied as he shrugged his shoulders and resumed eating the last of the food that Harry had prepared. "You know that Chairman Netero frowns on killing kids; no matter how annoying they are."

"Tch, whatever," Menchi groused before she addressed Harry in a slightly more civil tone. "What is your problem anyway, brat? Why did you turn down my offer?"

"You weren't offering; you were dictating on top of your snobbish nitpicking," Harry snapped back without relaxing his stance. "And I took offense to your assumption that I would be happy to have you dictate how I would be living my life."

"That's it? You're upset because I didn't ask you nicely? You know what, forget it; you just failed the task like everyone else here. I don't need a high and mighty apprentice with a stick shoved so far up his…"

The rest of the woman's crude insult was abruptly cut off as a goofy old guy dropped out of the airship that had been passing overhead. The man immediately chastised the woman for failing everyone, his tone both disappointed and lecturing as he made the woman openly confess to purposefully making the task harder than necessary because she'd been angry about most of the applicants not taking her seriously at the very start of the task.

Harry relaxed his stance just the slightest bit and lowered the tip of Gryffindor's sword once it became apparent that his life was no longer in immediate danger from either examiner; though his anger had not abated in the least. During the next couple of minutes, Harry took the time to study the newcomer in the event that the man turned out to be a threat.

The man's head was mostly bald head with a long samurai's topknot of white hair. He also had excessively long eyebrows, a bushy white mustache, a strangely styled white beard that looked like the tip had been dipped in gray paint, and huge earlobes that had been pierced twice. He wore what almost looked like a traditional martial arts gi with blue trim, a yellow v on the back, and long sleeves that hung down passed his hands and a pair of wooden geta (a type of Japanese sandal that resembled a cross between a flip-flop and a clog with one long 'tooth' on the bottom that elevated the wearer and helped keep their feet out of the mud).

As if he had felt Harry's eyes on him, the man turned to meet the wizard's gaze and the teen froze as the man's piercing brown eyes seemed to weigh and measure his soul in that single glance. Harry automatically brought Gryffindor's sword back up into the ready position in response to the power Harry could sense clinging to the man. The wide smile the man gave him just seconds later only served to add to his growing tension as he couldn't help but worry about what that smile might mean for him in the long run. Harry didn't relax his stance again until the man looked away.

Not long after that, the group was informed that the Second Phase of the test was going to be redone and that everyone would have a second chance at passing Menchi's test. This time, they were supposed to boil eggs.

The airship the man had dropped from landed off to one side of the mansion at that point so that all of the applicants could board the craft and Harry put away his wand and sword as he hurried over to his cooking station to pack up the left over food and anything of his that he'd taken out while the other applicants rushed to board the airship. He then shouldered his pack, whistled for Flip and Flop, and made his way over to the airship as his anger dissipated just enough to allow him to regain control of his magic before he boarded the aircraft.

The trip took the rest of the morning and half of the afternoon before they landed and disembarked on the summit of Mount Mafutatsu. The moment that Harry saw what the new task entailed, he felt excitement bubble up inside of him as he stared down into the canyon and watched Menchi fly without aide of a broom. Apparently, Harry wasn't the only one excited by the task as Gon leapt feet first into the canyon alongside of Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio before the woman even finished explaining the dangers involved. Just over a third of the remaining applicants followed the four of them a minute later and Harry leaned over the side of the cliff to see if they would be successful in claiming an egg.

As Harry watched, Gon took charge as he told the others to wait as they all held onto the large webs strung between the two walls of the canyon. A few of those that thought they knew better than the kid would have dropped to their deaths if not for Flip and Flop snatching them out of the air as quickly as they fell while Harry cast Featherweight Charms on the idiots to reduce their weight. He also ended up using the Safety-Line Spell to catch a couple of people when both eagles were busy helping others; hauling the applicants up as quickly as he could in order to not be caught with his hands full if someone else needed help.

Meanwhile, those that did listen to the twelve year old were hanging on tightly to the web as they dangled over the deep canyon; their weight causing the thick strands to dangerously stretch. Just when it seemed like the webs would break under the combined weight of the fifty-seven applicants still holding onto the web, Gon gave the signal as he let go and grabbed an egg on the way down before the uplift caught him and threw him back up into the air. Harry knew that far more people than expected successfully retrieved an egg because of the kid.

Once everyone else was safely back up on the top of Mount Mafutatsu (Flip and Flop snagging those that had been too far away to reach the cliff the instant the wind died), Harry took off his pack, hammered his practice sword into the ground with a rock, secured the end of a rope to the sword, and used the rope to rappel down the cliff-side; leaving his eagles to guard his sword and rope to prevent anyone from knocking it loose or using it themselves. Once he reached the lower web, Harry let go of the rope and confidently trotted out onto the web towards the nearest bundle of dangling eggs (which wasn't much different that running along the rigging lines of he Kaijinmaru).

When he was standing right beside the strand connecting the egg bundle to the web, Harry hooked his left foot beneath the main web line and swung forward and down as he quickly hooked his right foot over the line as well so that he ended up hanging upside down on the thread by his feet. Harry then very carefully shimmied down the thick strand holding the egg bundles in place; moving slowly so as not to break the strand or knock any of the eggs loose. He was forced to hold tight as the wind rushed up from below, threatening to rip him away from his precarious position, but he managed to hang on thanks in part to the bundle of eggs blocking the worst of the wind.

It only took him a few more minutes to reach the highest eggs at that point and Harry brought out his wand and cast a weak sticking charm to his pant legs as he wrapped his legs tightly around the strand. He then tucked the wand away and let go of the webbing with both hands so that he could pluck an egg from the bundle and tuck it into the left pocket of his dueling cloak. A second egg was secretly tucked into his mokeskin pouch after Harry cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm on it so that no one would realize he'd taken an extra one and shoved it into a tiny pouch less than half the size of the egg. He then canceled the sticking charm so he could back up enough to turn around and make his way back up to the horizontal web.

The procedure was repeated twice more at two different bundles; netting Harry a total of six eggs (three hidden ones and three obvious ones) before he quickly made his way back to where he'd dropped down the cliff-side and allowed the next updraft to carry him back up to the top. His rope and sword were then retrieved and put away and his pack returned to his back before he sauntered over to where the eggs were being cooked so that he could have three of them boiled.

"I'm curious; why did you feel the need to take three eggs when everyone else was satisfied with just taking one," the old man from earlier inquired as he walked up to stand next to Harry as the wizard's eggs were placed in a separate pot (to keep them from getting mixed up with those that were almost finished cooking).

"Flip and Flop earned themselves a reward for risking their lives to save those that were too arrogant to follow the lead of a twelve year old boy," Harry replied as the two eagles dropped down out of the sky to land on the teen in response to hearing their names and the word reward. "They also know they earned a special treat and if I failed to acknowledge their efforts than they will grow to resent me for taking them for granted."

"Ah, a far more noble reason than what I had originally suspected; carry on then young man."

Harry absently nodded in reply as he gave most of his attention to his feathered companions; softly letting them know their treat would be ready soon. By the time his three eggs were being fished out of the boiling water, the sun was sinking below the horizon and painting the sky red and orange and the two birds were impatiently waiting for their promised treat. Eggs in hand, Harry retreated away from the other applicants and shoed the birds from his shoulders before he sat down and dug out his dagger to crack and peel the shell from the first egg before slicing it into eighths that he fed to Flip and Flop.

The second egg would follow in short order and Harry would only get to eat half of the third one due to the two birds begging for more (which he'd been unable to deny them). Shortly after he finished his last bite of egg, those applicants that had passed the revised Second Phase (of which there were fifty-eight including himself) were shuffled back onto the airship while those that had failed would be waiting on the top of Mount Mafutatsu for a second airship to pick them up and take them back to Zaban City. Harry would be the last applicant to board the craft as he'd been the furthest away when the boarding call had been made.

"Ah, number ninety-seven, just in time," the goofy old man declared the moment the three of them stepped inside of the airship. "I just need a little more information from you for our records before you join the other applicants; starting with a confirmation of your full name."

"James Evans."

"Birth date?"

"June twentieth," Harry replied; using the date his alias had been created as that was technically the day James Evans was born according to the goblin paperwork.

"Age?"

"Seventeen."

"Gender?"

Harry blinked in mild surprise over the question, since he knew he was no where near as effeminate looking as Draco Malfoy or Draco's father, before he snorted and drawled out, "Male," in a tone that said the man was dense for needing to ask in the first place; drawing a brief smile from the old man.

"Can you please tell me the names of your parents and their current address?"

"Why do you need to know about my parents?" Harry asked as he unconsciously dropped his right hand to the hilt of his practice sword and frowned in response to the question; his eyes taking in the fact that Satotz, Menchi, and the green guy that had handed out the badges were blocking three of the four doors that led out of the small antechamber he was in; the fourth door behind Harry leading outside of the craft (which had automatically locked itself the moment the ship had taken off).

"You are currently underage; so we need to have the name and address of an emergency contact in the event that you are seriously injured during the remaining phases of the Exam now that you've passed the first two phases."

"My age is irrelevant; I was emancipated at age fourteen."

"Even so, we will need the name of a parent, relative, or other former guardian who can be contacted in case of an emergency."

"I'm an orphan and I've been living on my own since I turned fourteen," Harry replied in a tone that said that was all he was going to say on the matter and thankfully the man took the hint and moved onto the next question.

"Moving on, then; what is your current height?"

"I was one-hundred-fifty-seven and a-half centimeters the last time I measured myself but I think I've grown another centimeter or two since then."

"And your current weight?"

"Just over seven stone."

"Known health issues?"

"None," Harry replied even as he added a silent, _unless you were to count the huge target I've been wearing on my back since __**before**__ I was born._

"Date of your last physical?"

"Er… I can't recall; I've not been to see a doctor since before my ninth birthday though. Aside from the occasional trip I've taken to see the school nurse for injuries during the school year."

The man hummed and nodded before he continued, "Just one more question and we're done here; do you have any identifying marks such as tattoos, scars, or birthmarks? If the answer is yes, I'll need a brief description and location of each one."

"Why do you need to know that?" Harry asked as he went completely still in response to that particular question.

"For identification purposes in the event that you are killed and your face is unrecognizable," the old man replied as he briefly glanced up from the form he'd been filling out.

"I have three scars," Harry grudgingly supplied after eyeing the man a minute longer as he tried not think about the scar that had once marred his brow or the fact that all three of his scars had been earned during his fourth year at Hogwarts; two of them creature induced while the last one was where Pettigrew had cut his arm to take his blood. "I have a two inch line running across the crook of my right elbow, a pair of two inch wide and three inch long teardrops on either side of my right knee, and a five inch by seven inch mess of shallow scars on the back of my left shoulder."

"I see. Thank you for your patience, young man. Just follow Beans; he'll lead you to where the others are waiting."

* * *

"Satotz? What was your analysis?" Isaac Netero, Chairman of the two hundred eighty-seventh Hunter Exam demanded softly as he watched Beans lead applicant number ninety-seven towards the lounge where all of the other applicants were waiting.

"He is a riddle. I did not see him once during the course of the First Phase and yet, he was the first one to arrive at the site of the Second Phase looking as if he'd been out on a leisurely stroll instead of participating in a grueling one hundred and fifty mile marathon; half of which was over the treacherous terrain of Swindler's Swamp. Although, he did have at least one of his trained eagles pacing me throughout the entire task."

"Menchi?"

"He is a decent cook. I watched him almost the entire time; he was the first one to return with his catch and he had no trouble keeping track of multiple dishes. He also never sampled a single bite of the food he made while he was cooking and I half expected the food he presented to be horribly bland or far too over spiced. And while there was plenty of room for improvement, they were all well made. So, he's highly organized, can multitask, and he is obviously intelligent. The stubborn brat's pride is also easily bruised and he has a short temper."

"Yes, I noticed the glare he'd been giving you when I first arrived as well as the fact that he'd been set to defend himself from you and Buhara. He also didn't hesitate to save the lives of at least sixteen applicants during the second attempt at the Second Phase. Mizuken? How truthful was the lad?"

"The kid never once told an outright lie even if he wasn't exactly being perfectly honest either," a voice replied as a man with an angular face, dark brown eyes, sparse mustache and goatee, and shaggy brown hair he stepped out from behind the hidden panel in the wall beside the entrance. "He's a right powerful little runt and he's been partially trained to use his Nen; though whether he had someone teach him or he learned it on his own is hard to say. He's also had some rather impressive physical training based upon the rather reckless one-man show he pulled off when collecting his eggs from the canyon."

"Do we know anything else about him?"

"The ship captain that brought applicants four-oh-four through four-oh-six and applicant ninety-seven to the island had nothing but good things to say about all four individuals; though he had surprisingly little to say about ninety-seven despite the fact that he had been one of the first applicants he'd picked up," Satotz added after a moment. "He was also one of the few individuals that made it to the initial starting point without the aide of a navigator and without running into any of the preliminary testers that are stationed at each of the various routes leading from Dolle Harbor; so there really isn't much we do know about the young man."

"The kid is fairly paranoid though he tries to hide it and he was quick to turn defensive when you asked him about his parents; he kept one hand on his sword throughout the rest of the interview after that," Mizuken offered as he leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "If numbers four-oh-five and ninety-seven pass the exam, I want to be the one to test and train at least one of them but would prefer to take them both; they are very interesting individuals."

"I'll keep that in mind when I assign tutors to each of the new Hunters for the hidden exam," Netero replied as he glanced down at the Hunter's Application in his hands. "I'd like the three of you to keep an eye on that particular young man for the rest of the Exam; I have a feeling that he is really something special, if he is related to who I think he is. Don't forget to keep an eye on four-oh-six as well; Ging's son has so far proven to be just as interesting as young Mr. Evans."

"Ging's son is truly something else; he showed no fear as he jumped into the canyon. He's got the makings of a true leader, he just needs to get a bit more experience," Menchi stated with a small laugh.

* * *

**Translations:** Japanese to English

Mount Mafutatsu – Mount Split-in-Half

* * *

**AN: **_For those of you who are also reading my other HP/HxH crossover, you will see similarities between this chapter and the equivalent chapter in Hunter x in the x Making. The reason for that is because both stories were actually birthed from the same plot bunny before they mutated into two separate stories. The original story that formed both stories has been laid to rest but bits and pieces of it will be found in both stories even though the plot lines of both Fics are now far different. ~ Jenn_

**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	10. Passing x Time x Again

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Ten: Passing x Time x Again

"Here we are, young man; you'll find the rest of your fellow applicants through these door," Beans announced as they stopped in front of a set of doors. "Chairman Netero will be arriving shortly to debrief all of the applicants."

"Thank you," Harry murmured as he shifted Flip into one arm so that he could open the right hand door to enter the room and immediately felt every eye in the room fall on him as the sound of the door drew the attention of the other applicants.

Long used to being stared at, Harry simply ignored the eyes on him as he strode confidently into the room; walking with the rolling gait of a sailor that made the bottom edges of his dueling cloak sway and flair dramatically with each step that he took. As he moved through the room, Harry let his eyes sweep across the faces of the other applicants until he found the individual that he was looking for. Letting a cocky grin form on his face, Harry altered his course to make his way over to where Kurapika was standing with the other two passengers from the Kaijinmaru and Killua.

"Oy, Kurapika, fancy a spar later if there's enough time before we face the next task? I'm bored as hell and feeling antsy after missing more than two weeks worth of proper training. Unless, of course, you're too tired?"

"Bored…?" Leorio spluttered in disbelief as he gaped at Harry.

"Well, yeah; all we've done so far is run and cook – two things I did more than enough when I was growing up. If I had wanted the reminder of my childhood, I would have visited the zoo and gone to see the poo flinging monkey exhibits."

"I am a bit tired but I wouldn't be opposed to having a light spar if there is enough time," Kurapika replied around a laugh in response to Harry's dry wit.

"You're Katzo's friend from the ship, aren't you?" Gon inquired on the heels of Kurapika's reply.

"Aye."

"What's your name?"

"You arrived on the same boat with Gon and never introduced yourself," Killua demanded incredulously. "After all the grief you gave me about being rude, it turns out your even ruder than me."

"I was a little preoccupied with helping the crew to keep the ship afloat after we'd been sucked up into a tropical storm that turned into a hurricane; manners were an afterthought at the time. And I would be nice to me, little stray; or I'll not feed you again the next time you come slinking up to my fire begging like a starved pup."

"You're still annoying and mean," Killua deadpanned with a look on his face that was a cross between petulant and pouting.

Harry just snorted before he returned his attention back to Gon as he offered, "My name is James, Gon; I would have introduced myself before we reached Dolle Harbor but as I said, I was a little preoccupied."

"It's nice to meet you, James; but how did you know my name? And are you the one who trained your eagles? Did you raise them from the egg?"

"The captain mentioned your name as I took my leave of the Kaijinmaru and I heard Killua address you by your name just before the Second Phase began. To answer your other questions; no, I didn't raise Flip and Flop – I purchased them from a large scale breeder in London back in June. They had already been trained when I bought them but I have since taught them a few new tricks."

"You mean you corrupted them and taught them how to prank people that annoy you," Kurapika corrected with a snort.

"You only say that because you're still sore about that live squid that Flop dropped onto your head after you insultingly called him a birdbrain," Harry fired back as the eagle in question let out a smug honk while the two twelve year olds burst out laughing.

Before Kurapika could respond, the man that had been questioning Harry entered the room alongside of Beans and everyone was asked to gather close. Harry frowned when the man introduced himself as the chairman for the current exam and he found himself worrying a bit as he wondered why the chairman had felt the need to personally question him the moment he boarded the airship when any old examiner could have done so; the wizard doubted that the man had interviewed all fifty-eight of the remaining applicants – otherwise it would have taken far longer for them to take off.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself to the remaining fifty-eight applicants. I am Isaac Netero; the Chairman for the two hundred eighty-seventh Hunter Exam Selection Committee. I had originally planned to make an appearance during the final Phase of the test but I find the rising tension in the air exhilarating and so I have decided to stick around a little longer in the hopes that all of you will entertain me."

"We are due to arrived at the site of the next phase tomorrow morning at eight o'clock in the morning," Beans stated while Chairman Netero laughed heartily over his declaration. "For those of you who are hungry, there is a buffet style supper set up in the Dining Hall. There are also a series of small dorms available if you wish to get some rest. In other words, all of you are free to do as you wish until we arrive at our destination."

Harry found himself grinning in response to that declaration as he turned back to meet Kurapika's gaze and the blond gave him an answering grin as he nodded. Gon and Killua broke away from the group as they headed for the door; the two twelve year olds eagerly discussing what part of the airship they should explore first. Harry shook his head as the two boys briefly reminded Harry of Fred and George plotting their next prank. He soon put both sets of troublemakers out of his mind as Kurapika spoke up just before they reached the doors leading out.

"There is one thing that bothers me," Kurapika muttered as a frown crossed his face.

"And what is that?" Leorio asked in return.

"Exactly how many more phases are there to this exam?"

"Oh. None of the examiners so far have mentioned an exact number, have they?"

"They probably base the total number of tasks upon how many people pass each phase," Harry suggested logically.

"The number of tasks varies from year to year but on average there are usually five or six phases," the fat bully Harry had followed a couple of days earlier answered as he walked up behind the trio.

"That would mean that we still have at least three more to go…" Leorio mused as the taller man stopped and turned around to face the fat man while Harry and Kurapika merely stopped and glanced back over their shoulders.

"I guess that means our spar will be both short and light; to leave us some time to rest afterwards," Kurapika stated as he turned to Harry.

"That's probably best anyway since it's been a couple of weeks since I last sparred with anyone," Harry agreed as the three of them turned away from the bully and began heading out the door once more.

"I wouldn't let my guard down if I were you," Tonpa quickly pointed out before they could leave the room. "There are still ten hours between now and when we arrive and…"

"And you should learn some proper manners," Harry huffed in annoyance as the man was seriously cutting into his sparring time. "Don't you know it's rude to try and shove unsolicited advice down a perfect stranger's throat? I swear; you're worse than the little stray that came to beg scraps from my fire last night." Kurapika and Leorio both snickered in response to Harry's cutting remarks while the bully's face had begun darkening in growing anger with each word Harry said. Harry smirked as he made shooing motions with his hands and added, "Go away little pest; I'm sure there's a rubbish bin around here somewhere that you can buzz about where you won't annoy us or pollute the air with your very presence."

"I'm going to make you pay for that," Tonpa growled as he clenched his fists and bared his teeth.

"I'm already paying for it since your presence is still fouling up the air I breathe."

"I'm going to kill you!"

Harry stared at the man for a heartbeat before he burst out laughing; Harry had long since grown numb to death threats due to how many people had threatened to kill him throughout his life (roughly half of them had been leveled at him over the past six months while he was aboard the Kaijinmaru). The teen didn't stop laughing as he turned away from the man and began to walk away as best as he could while laughing himself silly.

"I'm going to choke the life out of you with my bare hands and then I'm going to pluck and roast the two ugly chickens that you keep as pets!"

All amusement left Harry as he stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around as his anger and magic immediately reacted in response to the threats and insults directed at his feathered companions; the threat reminding him of Hedwig's loss. Harry's eyes glittered with magic and fury as he rolled forward onto the balls of his feet and hissed out, "While it was more than a little amusing that you tried to intimidate me with your rather pathetic death threats on my life, your spoken threat against my feathered companions just pissed me the hell off. Congratulations; you just earned the number four spot on my shit list."

Harry then took a single step towards the slightly taller man as a thread of magic swirled around him and shifted his cloak and hair before ruffling the feathers of both eagles as the birds silently glared at the fat man with glittering dark eyes that promised a world of pain. More than a few of he lights in the room began flickering in response to the magic that was now saturating the air around the teen. The furious wizard then leaned slightly forward to glare at the man over the top of his darkened glasses before he continued speaking.

"If you want to live to see another day, I suggest you stay as far away from me and mine as you can get because I guarantee that you will die a slow and painful death should you even _think_ of attempting to carry out your threat to harm my eagles. If I see you within fifty feet of my companions and you so much as look at them wrong, then there won't be enough of you left to bury by the time I am finished with you."

Harry then deliberately turned his back on the other man and stalked out of the room without looking back. Kurapika and Leorio caught up to him a few minutes later and Harry nearly snapped at them to leave him alone only to recall at the last second that they were not the ones that had pissed him off. By the time they'd reached the end of the corridor, most of Harry's anger had been brought back under control along with his magic as the wizard turned introspective as he tried to figure out why he'd snapped like he had.

He soon came to the conclusion that it was result of a number of different factors; the fact that he missed Katzo, Jacob, and Gunter, the boredom he'd been feeling off and on since he'd arrived at the starting point of the First Phase, the complete disruption of his physical training schedule, the tension he could sense from the other applicants, and the wealth of negative memories that had been stirred by the Second Phase. Knowing that, it was fairly easy for Harry to let go of the last of his anger.

The wizard then sighed as the last of the tension fled from his body as he took note of his surroundings for the first time since he'd stormed away from the bully. The teen abruptly stopped and frowned as he glanced back the way they'd come before casting another look towards the direction they'd been moving in. Kurapika and Leorio slowed to a stop of a few steps later as they belatedly realized that Harry was no longer moving; both of them more than a little confused.

"Is there something wrong, James?" Kurapika asked after a few minutes had passed.

"Yeah, do either of you know where we're going?"

"No; I thought you were leading the way," Leorio replied as he swung his briefcase over his shoulder and slouched down further.

"Er… no, I was only trying to get away from the walking, talking jackass before I did something I would regret."

"Tonpa is rather annoying," Kurapika agreed succinctly. "As far as to where we're going, we can either find a member of the airship's crew to ask them if there is a room on board with enough room for us to have our spar or we can just start opening doors until we find a suitable room on our own. Unless, of course, you're no longer in the mood…?"

"Hmm… no, I need to burn off a bit of excess energy or I'm liable to start snapping at everyone over nothing."

After another couple minutes of debate, the three of them began searching the rooms that opened up off of the hallway they were in for a room that would be suitable for sparring while keeping an eye out for a member of the crew that they could approach. Kurapika found a large, empty room with padded walls and wooden floor thirty minutes later and Harry bounded inside and promptly declared it perfect before he shooed Flip and Flop from their perches and began warming up without bothering to take off his pack-trunk.

"Shouldn't you take your pack off before you start?" Leorio inquired as he made himself comfortable beside the door to watch.

"Nope; I need to learn how to fight with it on," Harry countered with a shake of his head. "Not only does it offer me extra protection from blows to the back, there won't always be time for me to remove it if I have to fight. Plus, taking it off during a real fight increases the chances that my pack and therefore all of my supplies could be lost or stolen. The only reason I never sparred with it on while aboard the ship was because of the chances that I would get it tangled in the rigging once Jacob and Gunter had me fighting on the ratlines and spars."

"Won't you run the risk of your pack getting damaged then? Or the straps cut?"

"No, the straps have stripes of reinforced steel inside of them to make the harder to cut and the frame is made from fire hardened walnut and is very difficult to scratch or cut," Harry explained less than truthfully; completely leaving out the fact that the pack was layered with protective spells that prevented it from being damaged by blades, weather, and spells.

"Rules?" Kurapika inquired as he pulled out his chained bokken and settled into his favorite offensive stance.

"The usual but with a one hour time limit," Harry responded after a moment; referring to the rules they'd established back when they first began sparring together (which basically meant it they could use anything bar lethal and crippling attacks).

"One hour or until one of us can't continue; which ever comes first," Kurapika agreed with a grin. "Will you start us and keep track of the time for us, Leorio?"

"Sure; on the count of three – one, two, go!"

Nothing else was said as Kurapika attacked Harry the moment Leorio gave the signal and Harry focused all of his attention on the blond in order to avoid getting hit by the other teen's swords; dodging, blocking, or counter attacking with each step he took. The padded walls were put to good use as Harry used them as spring boards to increase his speed and height when he started using the walls to his advantage.

Kurapika had picked up a lot of tricks from sparring with Harry over the last couple of months though and the blond easily kept up with the shorter teen; though his moves were slightly sluggish due to his exhaustion. Something that put the two teens on even footing since they were both struggling physically for different reasons; Harry compensating for the extra stone and a half of weight on his back in addition to the cloak and boots he was wearing.

Harry enjoyed every single minute of the fast paced fight despite the fact that he would end up losing the spar when Leorio called time sixty minutes later. His only regret was that it was such a short spar; the time limit only set out of difference for the exhaustion that Harry knew Kurapika was feeling from the first two phases of the Exam. He was actually more than a little surprised that the blond had consented to the spar due to that same exhaustion. Harry didn't really have time to analyze the blond's reasons though as he was unexpectedly caught off guard by the sound of clapping in the wake of Leorio ending the match at the one hour mark.

Turning towards the door, the wizard found Killua, Gon, and Chairman Netero standing beside Leorio; the three of them had entered at some point after the match had started without Harry's knowledge. Harry blinked at the still clapping Gon before he shook his head and bowed towards the twelve year old with a dramatic flourish. The moment was ruined when Kurapika shoved him over onto his face for being a complete ham; which set everyone else to laughing. Harry retaliated by sweeping Kurapika's feet out from under him as he walked passed Harry.

"I hope we aren't interrupting, gentlemen," Chairman Netero stated several minutes later when the laughter faded away.

"No; we're finished now, sir," Kurapika replied as he climbed back onto his feet and helped Harry up. "We were only having a short friendly spar to get in some training before we got some rest."

"Well you certainly looked like you enjoyed yourselves."

"The past hour has been the most fun I've had since I set foot in Dolle Harbor," Harry truthfully replied as he collected his sleeping companions. "Though, retrieving the eggs earlier might be a distant second."

"Oh? Perhaps I can interest you and your friends in joining the three of us in a friendly game," Chairman Netero offered as he gestured to Gon and Killua.

"Count me out; I'm dead on my feet," Leorio replied as he pushed himself off the ground. "It was exhausting enough just watching those two bounce about the room over the past hour."

"I could really use a nap myself," Kurapika stated next.

"As fun as that sounds, I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass as I need to attend to my feathered friends; they are utterly exhausted and they will sleep better if I set them up with a proper perch," Harry answered as he gestured to the two eagles that hadn't even twitched a feather when he'd picked them up and shifted them onto his shoulder and arm.

"I see; have a good evening then, gentlemen."

Harry followed the other two out of the room and waved a silent farewell over his shoulder as Kurapika led their small group back in the direction of the dorm rooms that they had spotted earlier. It only took them a few minutes to find an unoccupied room and Harry set the eagles and his pack aside before he set up his tent and shifted the birds inside to their perches. Harry then bid Kurapika and Leorio goodnight as he pulled his pack into the tent with him; the fifteen year old not wishing to disturb them with his reading since it was obvious that they were both exhausted.

Harry then ate a couple of the pork chops he'd made earlier, spent an hour browsing through the Dueler's Grimoire, and spent another two hours doing calisthenics (to make up for missing out on most of his morning training) before he set his alarm and dropped into bed. The buzzing and beeping of his alarm dragged Harry from bed at six the next morning and he was half tempted to reset it for seven thirty. Only the knowledge that doing so would potentially mean he'd mess up his training schedule even further pulled him from beneath his covers.

A quick cold shower and a chunk of Stone's Teeth had him wide awake five minutes later and he flew through his morning routine with practiced ease. The only thing he couldn't do was run his usual laps since there just wasn't room enough inside of his tent. After he finished exercising, Harry took another five minute shower to wash off the sweat before he got dressed for the day.

He then woke up the matching menaces, offered them a couple of Hawker's Treats each, and left the tent so that he could pack it up. Kurapika and Leorio were both already up and moving when Harry crawled out of his tent and he greeted them cheerfully as he dropped the tent, rolled it up, and strapped it to his pack. Kurapika tossed him a pair of oranges when he finished (the blond had gotten up early enough to seek out the dining hall for food) and Harry thanked him as he peeled and ate both pieces of fruit. By that time it was seven-forty-five; meaning that there was only fifteen minutes remaining until they reached the location of the Third Phase.

Just five minute later, an announcement sounded through the airship informing all of the applicants that they were approaching their destination and would be landing in ten minutes. Gathering up their things, the trio left the dorm and wandered in the direction of the exit so that they could be some of the first ones off the craft. They were joined half way there by Killua and Harry teasingly chided Kurapika for feeding the stray when the blond tossed the twelve year old an extra orange.

Killua scowled at Harry in response but then stuck his nose up in the air when Harry merely smirked back at him. Gon wouldn't rejoin their small group until after they disembarked; the twelve year old had woken up just minutes before they'd landed. The five of them gathered off to one side of the rest of the applicants and took a moment study the top of the pillar like plateau that they'd been brought to before they returned their attention to Beans as the little green man made his presence known.

"Welcome to the top of Trick Tower and the starting point for Phase Three," Beans stated once he had the attention of the fifty-six applicants that had left the aircraft (two of those to pass the Second Phase had apparently dropped out over the course of their flight). "In order to pass this part of the Exam, you must reach the base of the tower alive within the seventy-two hour time limit. If there are no questions, we will begin the Third Phase now." Several of the applicants began muttering under their breath but when no one actually spoke out with any questions, Beans smiled at them as he gave his parting words, "I wish you all luck and will pray for your health."

Harry frowned slightly as he watched Beans return to the airship; the latest task sounded far too simple. The huge blimp then lifted off the tower's top a minute later and Harry glanced around to find all of the other applicants glancing nervously at each other and the edges of the tower. Gon and Killua both hurried to the closest edge and peered over the side with Harry, Kurapika, and Leorio following after them after a brief hesitation.

Harry let out a whistle of appreciation the moment he got his first glimpse over the side and spent another minute trying to judge the distance from the top of the tower to the base. They were still staring over the side of the tower when the applicant wearing badge number eighty-six lowered himself down over the side and began climbing down using nothing but his hands. Two minutes later, four reddish pink beasts that had humanoid faces with huge mouths filled with sharp teeth appeared seemingly from no where.

The largest of the strange beasts plucked the man off the wall just five minutes later and carried him off. All five of them swallowed thickly as they followed the creatures' path off into the distance while the man's screams rapidly grew fainter.

"I guess that means we won't be climbing down the side of the tower," Kurapika murmured as he straightened up and studied the top of the tower.

Leorio, Gon, and Killua were quick to follow the blond's example while Harry continued to study the long drop. The other four eventually decided to split off into pairs to search the surface of the tower for hidden doors and Harry waved them on their way; letting them know that he had a few ideas of his own as he sent Flip and Flop to scan the side of the tower for other potential threats. After forty-five minutes, the two eagles returned and let Harry know that they found nothing by shaking their heads and ruffling their feathers.

Harry then turned back towards the plateau and made certain no one was looking in his direction before he pulled out his wand and cast the Notice-Me-Not Charm over himself before he pulled out his Firebolt and dove over the side. The wizard allowed gravity to take hold of him for several long minutes before he rolled onto his broom and accelerated to maximum speed as he shot straight for the ground; his two eagles racing along beside him before the broom pulled ahead of them.

He reveled in the rush of the wind screaming past his face as he laid low over the broom; a fierce grin painted across his face as he kept his eyes locked on the rapidly approaching ground. There was a rather close call once he reached the halfway point when the four flying beasts returned but they thankfully had been unable to see him through the charm and so Harry escaped getting eaten by the skin of his teeth. Just a few minutes after that, he pulled up at the very last second to skim along less than ten inches above the ground for several feet before he sat up and pulled to a stop.

Harry let out a happy sigh as he hopped off his broom and returned it to his mokeskin pouch before he began searching along the base of the tower for some sign of where he was supposed to go now that he was at the base with Flip and Flop following him from the sky. He soon found a tall bald man wearing a green uniform of some kind and Harry waited until the man turned away from where Harry was standing before he dropped the charm hiding him and addressed the man.

"Excuse me; do you know where we're supposed to go once we reach the bottom of the tower?"

Harry had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud when the man jumped several feet into the air and let out an undignified yelp as Harry's rather abrupt arrival startled the man. It took the guy several minutes to regain his composure before he led Harry around to the west side of the tower where a partially hidden door was located. The man then stepped off to one side and made a call on his cell phone; his voice rising and falling as he spoke to someone on the other end of the line.

Five minutes later, the sound of stone grinding on stone was heard as the door to which he'd been led shifted upwards to reveal a darkened interior inside. Harry whistled to catch Flip and Flop's attention and quickly told them to spend the next three days resting and hunting before he stepped through the door; the wizard did not wish to keep the two birds cooped up the entire time.

The moment Harry stepped inside, the door slid shut behind him as an intercom crackled to life and a disembodied voice addressed him, "Congratulations number ninety-seven; you are the first applicant to pass the Third Phase. You have also set an all new record for the shortest time completing the Trick Tower Challenge at one hour, five minutes, and twelve seconds. Please make yourself comfortable as you will need to remain in the tower's base room until the remaining seventy hours and fifty-four minutes have run out."

"Joy, another boring task," Harry groused as he glanced around the stone walls and floor of the room he'd ended up in.

After inspecting the room, he claimed the spot right beside the door and set up his tent; if he was going to be stuck in one place for three days, he might as well make the most of it and get some studying done. He used an Engorgement Charm on some stone chips he found laying about the room (hiding his casting with his pack since it didn't take a genius to know that the room probably had hidden cameras all over the place) and used them to hold up the anchor ropes. Once the tent was up, he roped off a two foot section all the way around the tent using conjured rope and posts transfigured from the rest of the rock chips.

Harry then jokingly hung a 'no trespassing sign' from the rope and set out a 'beware of rabid butterflies' sign next to the tent opening. He'd later conjure a flock of acid green, neon yellow, fluorescent pink, and electric blue butterflies that he let lose to flutter about outside of the tent; a light corral ward placed on his rope fence preventing them from wandering off. The fifteen year old then retreated inside of the tent and spent his time exercising, running through his sword stances, working his way through his O.W.L. material, and practicing the various spells he'd memorized out of the Dueler's Grimoire.

Every three to four hours he'd poke his head out of the tent to see if any of the other applicants had made it down to the base of the tower before he'd withdraw inside. Five hours and twelve minutes after Harry's arrival, number forty-four arrived; the redheaded jester that had attacked Satotz and killed the impostor midway through the First Phase. Harry merely took note of the man's presence before he returned to his tent; Harry was not interested in getting to know the intimidating man.

Each time he stuck his head out after that, there would be another applicant in the room but to Harry's disappointment he did not see one of the four applicants he now knew by name. He was not disappointed that there was as of yet no sign of the bully who'd threatened his eagles; Harry would be far happier if the man failed the Third Phase as it would mean that there would be far less of a chance of him ever seeing the man again.

In that way, the fifteen year old wizard passed the three days of the Third Phase.

When there was less than a half an hour remaining, Harry collected his 'rabid' butterflies in a jar, packed up his camp, and put away his tent. He then kicked back with a five foot length of rope and practiced tying the various different knots that Gunter had taught him. By that time, twenty-five applicants had passed the task with one of them dying shortly after he had entered the room. Harry had attempted to save the man but he'd already been too far gone by the time the teen had reached his side. The man's death had bothered Harry as it had brought back memories of Cedric's murder.

Kurapika, Leorio, Gon, and Killua wouldn't show up until just seconds before the remaining time for the Third Phase ran out. Unfortunately, accompanying them was the same bully that had irritated Harry the other day. How the other four had ended up in the man's company was unknown but Harry was certain that they'd not been happy about it given the state of the man's face; someone had obviously punched him more than once. Leorio looked like he'd been on the receiving end of a couple of punches as well and Harry suspected that the two of them had been the ones fighting. The other three looked unharmed, if rather worn out and exhausted.

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	11. Hunter x vs x Hunted

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Eleven: Hunter x vs. x Hunted

The moment the time ran out for the task, a buzzer went off and the voice from earlier announced that the Third Phase was officially over and that twenty-nine applicants had passed (the man counting the applicant that had died after reaching the base of the tower despite the fact that he was dead). Stone grated on stone one last time as the door leading outside of the tower opened for the second time in three days and Harry was the first one to step outside; he had been hovering right beside the door. The teen took a split second to revel in the feel of the wind on his face once more before he stepped away from the door to avoid getting trampled.

The other applicants soon followed Harry out and the wizard had to laugh when he saw two blurs rush passed him as Gon and Killua dashed about and played beneath the sun. Many of the adults were enjoying being out in the open once more as well; a number of them stretching out cramped muscles or just enjoying the fresh air. Once everyone had existed the room, Harry migrated over to where Kurapika and Leorio were standing off to one side of the tower to find out what had happened to them and why they'd been traveling with the bully.

"Cutting it pretty close there, weren't you, Kurapika?" Harry inquired with a bit of a laugh once he reached their side. "I had expected the lot of you to show up sometime on the first day. I also never expected to see you in the company of the talking jackass."

"Tch; we were penalized fifty hours near the start of the task and only made it to the tower's base in time thanks to Gon's quick thinking," Kurapika replied as he scowled at Leorio briefly. "If you'd have been with us when we first found the set of doors we used, then we wouldn't have had to work with Tonpa during the task. Our test required us to vote over each decision we made with the majority ruling."

"I already apologized for that and it never would have happened if Tonpa hadn't forfeited his fight," Leorio petulantly muttered as he crossed his arms and glanced away from the two teens.

"Sounds like you guys at least had some fun," Harry concluded with a small grin. "I was stuck in that damn room for the full three days and if I hadn't had my books and training to keep me occupied, I'd have been bored silly. In fact, I was still bored silly because I didn't even have Flip and Flop to provide entertainment by pranking the other applicants as they made it to the bottom of the tower."

"How did you get down to the bottom of the tower so quickly?" Leorio demanded with a frown at the same time as Kurapika asked, "Where were your eagles if they weren't with you?"

"I left them outside once I reached the base so that they could stretch their wings and hunt; they've been far too restricted since the Exam started and they needed the break," Harry answered for Kurapika before he glanced over at Leorio as he answered the tall man's question. "And I took a shortcut."

"Why didn't you tell us that you'd found a shortcut," Leorio complained.

"I doubt you'd have been willing to follow me."

"Why's that?" Kurapika asked curiously when he noted the smirk that Harry was wearing.

"I jumped."

"What!?"

"I jumped over the side… well; technically you could say I threw myself head first over the side."

The two older applicants gaped at Harry in shock as they tried to process what he'd just told them and Harry snickered in response to the looks on their faces. Before they could question him further, a short man with a wide, spiked Mohawk wearing a black uniform with white trim and wide glasses approached the applicants alongside the tall bald man that had let Harry into the tower the first day.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to congratulate all twenty-eight of you on successfully escaping Trick Tower," the man intoned once he had everyone's attention and Harry recognized his voice as the one that had spoken each time another applicant had made it to the base of the tower and passed the test. "For those who missed my introduction towards the start of the Third Phase, I am Lippo; the examiner that was in charge of overseeing the Third Phase. Only two more phases of this year's Hunter's Exam remain; the Fourth Phase and the Final Phase. The Fourth Phase will be taking place on Zevil Island; if you look behind me you can see the island for yourself. I will now explain the rules of the Fourth Phase."

The man paused for a moment as the bald man that had let Harry into the tower three days earlier appeared with a small square cart with black box seated on top of it. Lippo waited for everyone to shift a little closer before he continued, "All of you will be required to draw lots in order to decide who will be hunting who during the next task. There are a total of twenty-eight cards to choose from; one card for each applicant that passed the Third Phase. The order you will draw in is the order in which you completed the previous task. Will the first person please come forward and pick your card?"

"That's me," Harry murmured as he confidently strode forward, stuck his hand in the box, and promptly screamed out loud as if he was in pain while acting as if he couldn't pull his hand free. He then fell silent as he pulled out a card and smirked as he turned back to face the other applicants before he drawled a playful, "Just kidding."

A number of the other applicants gave him a dirty look in response to his antics but Harry just grinned unrepentantly as he returned to his spot beside Kurapika and Leorio while number forty-four strode forward to draw his card next. Harry was tackled a moment later by a laughing Gon and Killua; the two twelve year olds had appreciated the prank he'd just played on the entire group. Kurapika slapped him across the back of his head the moment Harry fought free of the two boys and got back up to his feet.

Eventually, Harry's four on again, off again companions went up to draw their cards with Tonpa going last. Their attention was then drawn back to the examiner as he instructed them to remove the seals covering the face of the cards. Harry stared down at the number in his hand as Lippo informed them that the number on their card was their target and that their objective was to steal their target's ID badge. When Lippo said that they could do as they pleased to retrieve their badges, including killing their targets; Harry frowned as he cast a glance towards those applicants that he'd pegged as being extra dangerous (such as number forty-four, three-oh-one, and three-eighty-four).

"Listen closely! Your target's badge is worth three points. Your own badge is worth another three points. All other badges are worth one point each. You must have a total of six points in order to advance to the Final Phase of this year's Hunter's Exam. Your transportation to Zevil Island will be arriving in about ten minutes; please do not leave the area as you will be disqualified if you miss the boat."

Harry looked down at the card in his hand again before he removed his badge and tucked it into his mokeskin pouch along with the card with his target's number on it to keep them safe. He then let his eyes search through the other applicants until he found the man he recalled had been wearing the badge number he'd drawn as his target. Harry turned slightly to give the appearance that he was still searching for his target before he studied the man out of the corner of his eye in order to assess how difficult it would be to steal the man's badge from him without getting caught.

Harry smirked after a moment when he realized that all he needed to do was summon the man's badge from him the moment he set foot on the island. Then he'd just need to prevent the applicant that had drawn his number from taking his badge in return; not that anyone could actually take it from him thanks to the charms on his mokeskin pouch. That didn't mean he'd make it out of the task alive though; since the one hunting him might decide that it was easier to just kill him instead of merely trying to steal his badge from him.

"Are we all going to stick together?" Gon asked, drawing Harry's attention away from his target.

"Probably best not to because we'll each need to hunt down our target," Kurapika pointed out as he briefly frowned. "We haven't yet been told how much time we will have to collect our target's badge and if we stay together there's a chance one or more of us will fail if we run out of time before we can corner everyone's target."

"We should make plans to meet up towards the end of the task though, in case one of us needs help because we ran into trouble along the way," Leorio suggested logically. "If we each collect at least two extra badges, then we'd be able to make certain that all of us pass the task."

"If we meet up after roughly two-thirds of our time has passed, we can work together to collect extra badges for anyone who is short of the six needed points if we don't have enough on hand," Killua agreed as he glanced at Leorio from the corner of his eye.

"It would also be far easier to keep hold of the badges we collect if we finish as a group," Kurapika added after considering the suggestions for a moment. "What about you, James? Will you join up with us later or are you going to run this phase alone like you did the last three?"

"I wouldn't mind hanging out towards the end of the task. I'll probably just spend most of my time exploring the island with Flip and Flop anyway."

"Awful cocky, aren't you?" Leorio asked as he leaned down to look Harry in the eye.

"No, I'm just easily bored and exploring a new place sounds rather appealing right now."

"How long do you think it will take you to get your target's badge?" Killua asked out of curiosity as the arrival of their transportation to the island was announced by one of the other applicants.

"Hmm… I'd say between fifteen and twenty minutes," Harry replied as the five of them headed towards the boat together.

"Yep, I knew it; you're a cocky little runt," Leorio muttered.

"My eagles have excellent eyesight and they have been trained to steal," Harry dryly pointed out as he glanced sideways at the man.

"You were the one pranking a bunch of the applicants just before the First Phase began," Killua deduced in surprise the moment that Harry mentioned that his birds had been trained to steal. "How did you hide the birds though? No one ever saw who or what it was that was taking things."

"Pranking? Me?" Harry asked incredulously, though the amusement in his eyes was plain to see over the top of his tinted lenses. "I pranked no one; I was simply playing a game of I-Spy with my eagles to keep them from getting bored." That earned him several chuckles, a couple of snorts, and an eye roll from the others and Harry grinned before he grew serious as he addressed Killua's other questions. "And I can't tell you how I made it so that no one could see Flip and Flop; you're far too young."

"What the hell do you mean I'm too young? I'm only a year or two younger than you are!"

"Actually, you're five years younger than I am," Harry countered as he stopped walking and let out a shrill whistle to call Flip and Flop to him; drawing the attention of everyone else for a brief moment. He boarded the boat a moment later, knowing the eagles would join him eventually before he finished, "I turned seventeen this past summer."

"You don't look seventeen," Leorio remarked in some surprise.

"Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'never judge a book by its cover'?"

"Can you blame him for thinking you're younger than you are?" Kurapika asked with a small smirk. "It's not as if you act your age. You bounce back and forth between two extremes; from acting far too mature for your age to acting like a toddler with a sugar rush. And you are practically the same height as both Gon and Killua."

Harry sighed as he tucked his hands into his pockets and stared out over the ocean and considered on whether or not he wanted to lie to Kurapika and the others (especially in light of the friendship he was quickly developing with the small group; though he wasn't really close to Leorio at all). After a few minutes, he realized that he had no choice but to lie least someone who knew who he was to the wizarding world learned of him and sent word back to Dumbledore. That didn't mean he couldn't add some truth into the mix; since James Evans's story was closely tied to that of Harry Potter's story.

"I'm an orphan; my teenage mother abandoned me to the foster care system before I was two minutes old so that she could run off to chase her dreams," Harry stated while mentally apologizing to his parents for not acknowledging their sacrifice in his alter ego's life story. "The foster family I ended up with was rather stingy and food was always in short supply during the years I lived there; which is the reason why I ended up on the short and scrawny side."

"Is that why you're taking the Hunter's Exam then? To make a name for yourself and get rich?" Leorio inquired with blatant curiosity.

"No, officially, I decided to apply for the Hunter's Exam to find myself or rather find out who I wanted to be."

"What do you mean by officially?" Gon asked as he moved to stand beside Harry's elbow.

"It means that was the reason he gave on his application for wishing to take the Exam," Kurapika explained. "And most likely the reason that he told the captain of the Kaijinmaru when he passed the captain's test at some point before we did."

"Aye," Harry confirmed as he finally pulled his eyes away from the ocean to glance at the four people standing beside him. He then dropped his voice lower so his words would not be carried away on the wind as he added, "Please don't ask me my real reasons for taking the Exam; I do not wish to speak of them where any of the other applicants might overhear them."

All four of them nodded in response; though both Kurapika and Killua had speculative looks on their faces and Harry knew that they would be the ones most likely to bring the subject up again at some point. The solemn mood was broken a heartbeat later when twin honking calls sounded out just moments later as Flip and Flop dropped down to land on top of the bulwark beside Harry; the two birds finally reaching his side from where ever they had been roosting or hunting when he first called them.

"Attention!" Harry ordered as he turned towards the two birds; both of them puffing up their chests, raising their beaks slightly, and holding their wings straight down at their sides in response to Harry's order. Harry critically inspected the two birds before he ordered, "At ease, gentlemen." The two birds shifted the tips of their wings behind their backs, shifted their feet into a more comfortable position, and relaxed slightly.

Harry then asked, "Was the fishing good?" Both birds nodded an affirmative in sync. "Did you both get plenty of rest?" Another synchronized nod was given in reply. "Did you prank the seagulls again?" There was a brief hesitation before both birds shook their heads no. "Are you fibbing to me?" Harry asked; causing both birds to sheepishly ruffle their feathers, shift nervously on their feet, and duck their heads in embarrassment. "You are, aren't you?" Two sheepish nods were given before the birds shifted closer together in their guilt.

"Do I even want to know what it was you did?" Harry asked dryly as he crossed his arms and both birds rapidly shook their heads no. "You weren't robbing their nests again, were you?" There was an immediate denial from both birds before Flop held out his left wing and shook it. "You were plucking flight feathers?" Both birds nodded before Flip raised his right foot and shook it before making a throwing motion. "And you smacked them about with fish." Another set of nods were given before the birds dropped their heads low in shame.

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes before he asked, "Did you at least have fun?" The two eagles immediately perked up and bobbed their heads in excitement before adding several honking calls that rose and fell in pitch and volume; as if they were telling Harry exactly how much fun they were having. Harry chuckled fondly before he fished out a couple of Hawker's Treats for the birds from his mokeskin pouch.

"Just how well trained are those birds?" Leorio inquired curiously after watching Harry interacting with them just now.

"Very well," Harry replied proudly as he reached out to scratch both birds beneath the beak. "They were fully trained messenger hawks when I purchased them and I've taught them several tricks since then."

"They really like you a lot," Gon stated with certainty. "I could hear the affection in their voices when they were telling you the details of just how they pranked the seagulls and the names the seagulls called them in turn."

"You actually understood what they were saying?" Harry asked in some surprise as he glanced between the two eagles and the twelve year old.

"Yes, I've always been able to speak to the animals; though birds are the easiest for me to understand."

"That's so cool," Harry exclaimed after taking a few seconds to digest that information. "Would you be willing to ask them if they're happy with me? I sometimes worry that I am asking too much of them."

Harry avidly watched as the twelve year old carried on a conversation with the two birds; all three of them using a combination of calls, cries, and gestures. It reminded him of the conversation he'd once held with the python at the zoo before his eleventh birthday; back before he'd learned about the stigma that was associated with snake speakers.

"They are very happy with you," Gon stated when the conversation finally ended. "They love the fact that you don't treat them as servants or simple minded birds and see you as being one of them. They also said something about appreciating the fact that you don't ignore them because of what happened to your first companion… do you know what that means?"

"Yes; I know what they are referring to," Harry replied with a small grimace over the reminder of the lost Hedwig before a small smile took its place as he focused on the knowledge that his new feathered companions were content with him. "Thank you, Gon; knowing they feel the way they do is a true gift."

"You're welcome," Gon replied happily.

Their group split apart a few minutes later, Gon and Killua wandering away as they chatted about Gon's ability to talk to animals, Kurapika and Leorio heading for a spot to sit and rest for the duration of the journey, and Harry staying where he was to lavish attention on the two eagles. They would regroup an hour and a half later when the boat pulled up alongside a cliff where the water was deep and dropped anchor before putting out the gangplank.

They'd reached Zevil Island and the Fourth Phase was about to start.

The tension between all twenty-eight applicants was high as they were told that they would be stranded on the island for five days. They would have five days to collect their target's badge and five days in which they would have to avoid having their badge taken by the one hunting them. The news that they would be let off the boat in two minute increments according to the order in which they completed the Third Phase was almost as unwelcome as the number of days they'd be trapped on the island; especially for those that would be the last to leave the boat.

"Are we still going to meet before the test ends?" Gon asked worriedly as the woman answered a few questions that the other applicants were asking. "If so, where are we going to meet?"

"We shouldn't talk about that on the boat," Kurapika quickly pointed out. "We'll all be getting off within minutes of each other, not counting James; we can simply gather off to one side just out of sight and make our plans out of sight of the others."

"I'll come back and find you after I take my target's badge," Harry hurriedly stated in a low voice just as the woman called for number one to leave the boat.

Harry then sent Flip and Flop into the air as he headed for the gangplank and crossed over onto the island. The wizard then gave a jaunty salute to the rest of the applicants before he darted off into the forest and quickly disappeared from sight. The moment he was out of view, Harry cast the Notice-Me-Not Charm over himself along with the Muffling Charm (to prevent someone from hearing him). He then pulled out his invisibility cloak (to keep those with twitchy trigger fingers from shooting at him if they caught a glimpse of him from the corner of their eye before the charm could affect them), pulled it on, and headed back towards the boat before he climbed up into a tree at the edge of the forest so he could wait for his target; taking out his broom in case he needed to get closer to the man.

Eighteen minutes after Harry left the boat, number eighty-nine set foot on the island and chose to take a more southerly direction than any of the other applicants had taken so far and Harry mounted his broom and chased after him. The moment his target slipped beneath the trees, Harry pulled out his wand, dropped lower, and moved closer as he incanted a soft, "_Accio_ badge eighty-nine," while keeping a firm image of the badge in his mind and focusing on his desire to have that badge in his hand.

The magic of the spell pulled the badge free from the man's back pocket two seconds later and the white disk soared straight to Harry; the man never even noticed. Grinning like a loon, Harry slipped his left hand out from underneath his cloak and snagged the badge from the air as he slowed to a stop. Snickering under his breath, Harry slipped the stolen badge into his mokeskin pouch before he turned around and returned to the landing point so that he could wait for the others to disembark. Killua would be the first one to leave the boat forty-six minutes after Harry had left and twenty-four minutes after Harry had taken his target's badge.

Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio would follow in rapid succession and Harry marked them from the air as they all headed off towards the north before they gathered in a small clearing inside of the forest well out of sight of the boat. Harry flew a short circuit through the nearby forest to make certain that none of the other applicants were hanging about in the immediate area before he returned to the clearing and set up a temporary privacy ward to insure that their conversation would not be overheard by anyone.

Once he finished with that, Harry dropped down onto the nearest tree, pulled off his invisibility cloak, returned both his cloak and his broom to his mokeskin pouch, and canceled the other two spells. He then dropped down into the clearing; startling all four of those standing in the clearing. Harry snickered and smirked in response to their reactions as he sauntered over to join them.

"Long time no see," Harry drawled cheerfully as he stopped between Gon and Killua.

"Did you give up taking your target's badge already?" Leorio asked once he regained his composure.

"Not at all."

"Don't tell me, one of the four of us is your target!" Leorio exclaimed a heartbeat later.

"Nope," Harry countered with a smug grin. "I collected the badge I needed within four minutes of my target stepping off the boat."

"Prove it!"

Harry arched an eyebrow at the command before he reached into his mokeskin pouch and pulled out both of the badges that were inside, "Is that proof enough?"

"What are you going to do for the next five days?" Kurapika asked while Leorio's jaw hit the ground in disbelief.

"I'll set up camp in this clearing since it's conveniently close to the landing site before I spend the rest of my time exploring the island or training."

"Won't it be too dangerous to camp so close to the landing site?"

"Nah, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I can use to hide and protect my camp from the other applicants."

"Should we use this clearing as our meeting spot on the morning of the fourth day then?" Killua inquired a heartbeat later.

"That should work; though it might take time to reach this clearing if we end up on the other side of the island, so the meeting time should be set for sometime after noon," Kurapika alternately suggested.

"That won't give us much time to collect additional badges if one of us is short of the needed six points," Leorio pointed out with a bit of a frown.

"It shouldn't be too hard to ambush the other returning applicants by that time," Harry interjected at that point. "Those applicants that have their points are likely to start making their way back around that time so they could be close when the time runs out."

They spent another few minutes ironing out the details before the other four split up and headed off to track down their targets. The second they turned away from him, Harry discreetly summoned a loose strand of hair from each of them so that he could key them into the wards he would use to protect the clearing. He tied the strands around a button hole to keep from losing them as he went about setting up his tent before he dug out the book on wards that he'd found amongst the books from Hogwarts.

An hour later, Harry plucked out one of his hairs and set it on top of a flat slab of stone with the other four hairs. Harry then cast the final spell that would key the wards to those whose D.N.A. was contained in each of those strands of hair. It was a method of warding that had fallen out of practice due to the power requirements needed for casting the spell; since it relied more upon the caster's magic and will than blood based wards did due to the level of magic that could be found in living blood (meaning freshly spilled blood) when compared to the dead cells in a strand of hair. There was no need for him to key either of birds into the wards; since the wards would not affect any animal bar an animagus.

Camp now secure, Harry tucked his pack into his tent, reapplied the Notice-Me-Not Charm to himself and to both eagles, and pulled out his broom. The fifteen year old then took to the sky and headed out over the ocean to spend the next three hours simply flying, messing around pulling stunts and tricks, and playing tag with the matching menaces. After the first three hours on his broom, Harry headed back towards the island and lazily followed the coastline to get an idea of just how big the island was as well as look for anything interesting that might have washed up onto the shoreline. He ended up collecting more than a few cool looking pieces of driftwood, several ropes of dried seaweed (that he would wash and add to the eagles' nests), and a large assortment of seashells and rocks (including a few pieces of sun bleached coral).

Once he completed one lap around the entire island in the late afternoon, Harry returned to his camp to clean the sand and salt from his finds and to start supper. He also took the opportunity to call Dobby (now that he was alone) so that he could let Bill know that he'd made it through the first half of the Exam and to pass the three extra spider-eagle eggs he'd collected to Bill with an inquiry as to whether or not he'd ever heard of spider-eagles. Dobby also gave Harry an update on what was happening at Hogwarts (not much aside from the Ministry attempting to take over the school, Dumbledore still trying to find Harry, and Harry's friends undermining both efforts on Harry's behalf with Dobby's help).

After Dobby left, Harry spent the evening writing three letters; one to the crew of the Kaijinmaru, another to his friends (this one carefully edited to avoid giving away any information on where he was or what he was doing), and the longest one to Bill (providing a more detailed accounting of the first three tasks and asking the older wizard if he thought Harry had cheated because he'd used his magic to give him an edge in the Exam). All three letters were left unfinished so that Harry could add more during the rest of the week before he had Dobby deliver the ones going to people back in Britain while he'd send the remaining one to the Kaijinmaru with Flip or Flop after the Hunter's Exam ended.

The next morning, Harry was up bright and early to do his morning exercises and training; heading out under the safety of a Notice-Me-Not Charm to run along the beach for an hour before he took the sky again to explore the interior of Zevil Island. He spotted a couple of the other applicants that day but made no move to interfere with their hunting (not even bothering to steal their badges). Harry was more interested in the island itself; checking out interesting landmarks, studying the strange creatures that lived there, and taking samples of any unfamiliar plants he came across.

That and he didn't want to accidentally take one of his new friends' targets.

Lunch was eaten at the top of a waterfall near the highest point of the island where Harry could enjoy the view while Flip and Flop fished along the riverbank. He would then continue his explorations for the rest of the afternoon before he headed back to camp with the setting of the sun. Supper that night was fresh river trout grilled over an open fire (the fish provided by Flip and Flop) with baked potatoes and carrots that had been cooked in the coals of the fire. His evening was then spent between practicing his wandless spell casting and meditating.

His third day upon the island would pass much the same way as the second until shortly after supper when the applicant that had drawn Harry's badge number made his first attempt at taking the wizard's badge while making an attempt on the wizard's life at the same time.

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	12. Attacks x and x Rescues

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Twelve: Attacks x and x Rescues

Harry had just finished cleaning up the last of his supper dishes when Flip cried out a sharp warning. Harry barely had time to dodge as six large vipers attacked him at the same time. Harry tried to order the snakes to stop in parseltongue but they acted as if they couldn't hear or understand him as they chased him across the clearing and struck out at him one right after the other with an unnatural speed. And Harry knew he hadn't lost the ability to speak parseltongue; he'd run into and spoken to quite a few snakes during the exploratory trips he'd made at nearly every port the Kaijinmaru stopped at during the first half of his voyage.

Two of the attacking snakes would be dealt with by Flip and Flop (a task that had been rather difficult for the two birds due to how fast the snakes had been moving) while Harry eventually felled the other four with cutting curses. Once the snakes had been dealt with, Harry searched the entire clearing for more of them in case there were more of them waiting to ambush him again. As he checked the clearing, Harry was filled with an irrational fear that Voldemort had somehow managed to find him after all this time.

Common sense reasserted itself after a few minutes when the teen realized that if Voldemort and his Death Eaters had found him, then they would have attacked the island in force; not just sent in a group of snakes to attack him. A review of just who was on the island with him and the reasons why any of them would be targeting him, led Harry to the conclusion that the attack most likely had been instigated by one of the other applicants in an attempt to take his badge. It only took him a moment to recall the applicant that he'd seen interacting with a group of snakes he carried around with him and he knew he'd identified the one responsible for the attack.

Anger then bubbled up inside of Harry; he was sick and tired of snake obsessed creeps stalking and attacking him (and that's assuming that the snake charmer wasn't working for Voldemort in the first place).

He was also more than a little angry at himself for forgetting about another applicant targeting him and for not having one of his swords close at hand to deal with the snakes instead of being forced to reply upon his magic. He'd grown far too complacent with how easy the test had been so far and he'd nearly paid for it. What's worse was the fact that one of his frequent companions might have been hurt if they'd been with him at the time or if one of them had been alone in the clearing and mistaken for him at the time of the attack; which would have meant certain death based upon the species of vipers that had been involved in the attack.

Harry stalked back to his tent and ducked inside so that he could collect his pack-trunk and his practice sword. He then spent several minutes pulling out a small selection of food and drinks that he strung up in one of the trees surrounding the clearing (so the others would have food available if they reached the clearing before he returned). The next thing he did was to write a short letter to the others to tell them about the attacks, where they could find the food he left them, and to warn them to stay out of his tent (so they wouldn't trigger the anti-theft wards). Just before Harry left the clearing, he posted a conjured sign right in front of the tent opening that said; Gone Snake Hunting.

Harry had then slipped out of the wards on foot under a Night Vision Enhancer Spell (a spell coming straight out of the section on dirty dueling in the Dueler's Grimoire). Flip and Flop stayed behind to guard the camp while he was gone (in case more snakes attacked). Once outside of the wards, Harry began trotting through the woods as he hissed out, '_Here snaky, snaky,_' every few minutes in parseltongue. His intention was to find a local serpent that could help him track down the snake charmer or possibly get one of the charmer's pet snakes to talk to him long enough to wrest the location of its master from it before he killed it.

It took eight hours before Harry had his first clue as to where the snake charmer had gone to ground; eight hours during which he had killed another seventeen mindless snakes and interrogated ten local snakes. On the other hand, he had learned that some of the snakes attacking him were not natural (their bodies vanishing like smoke the moment they were killed) while those that were real no longer possessed the ability to communicate or think for themselves; their minds had been completely wiped blank of all but the order given to them by the charmer. It wasn't until he came across an injured garter snake at the end of those eight hours that he would finally get the information he had been looking for; a snake that had been wounded and displaced by the very man that Harry was hunting.

Harry had secured the snake's help by healing its injury, catching it a couple of small fish to eat, and promising to find it a new home. The small snake would end up curling up in the left hand pocket of his dueling cloak as Harry followed the snake's difficult to understand directions (snakes saw things from a completely different prospective than humans). His progress would be further hindered by several additional attacks from more of the mindless snakes and their constructed counterparts that were like but at the same time unlike magically summoned snakes. He also had to contend with the island terrain, the island's other inhabitants, and those applicants that were on the island (the latter actually far easier to avoid than the former two).

Fury practically oozed from the fifteen year old wizard by the time he finally reached the clearing which housed the cave that the snake charmer had taken refuge in. The anger that had been stirred by that first attack had morphed into a towering rage after spending the entire night and more than half of the day tracking down the man that was trying to kill him; all for the sake of stealing an insignificant little badge. It didn't help that each subsequent attack had only added fuel to the fire. His single-minded focus to utterly destroy the snake charmer would be temporarily derailed by the unexpected presence of Kurapika and Gon standing in the middle of the clearing.

"What are you doing here, James?" Gon asked as the twelve year old caught sight of the wizard the moment he stepped into the clearing.

Harry blinked at the pair before he shook his head and let his eyes drift to the mouth of the cave as he venomously replied, "I'm hunting a particularly nasty species of snake; now, if you'll excuse me, I just spotted the hole he's gone to ground in."

"Are you referring to the cave? Leorio's in there; as is Leorio's target, Ponzu. Does that mean that Leorio is in danger because he entered the cave?" Kurapika demanded with some concern.

"Potentially," Harry replied as he began buttoning up his dueling cloak before he took off his pack-trunk and drew Gryffindor's sword free from its scabbard. "Stay here and watch my pack, please; I will deal with the snake charmer and his unnatural pets." Harry then dug the garter snake out of his pocket and passed it to Gon. "Hold onto him for me; I still owe him one more favor for helping me find my prey. No matter what happens or what you hear; do _**not**_ enter the cave."

Harry then boldly strode into the mouth of the cave without looking back. He reached the end of the tunnel leading into the underground cave just as hundreds of snakes attempted to attack Leorio, who'd been making an attempt to leave the cave. Letting out a low cry of pure fury, Harry swung Gryffindor's sword in wide sweeping arcs that cut through the snakes like a hot knife through butter. Those snakes that were conjured or otherwise magically called or created vanished in bursts of smoke while those that were real snakes rapidly swelled up and turned black as the venom in the goblin blade came into contact with their bodies.

Between Harry's unexpected appearance and the attacking snakes, Leorio cried out and jumped back in shock; the man unknowingly saving himself a painful death. As Harry moved forward, the snakes turned from their original target and began attacking the wizard; bringing about their own deaths even faster as Harry's sword continued to sweep back and forth. The sheer volume of attacking snakes (which numbered in the hundreds) meant that someone was going to get bit eventually and because he was the closest target, it was inevitable that Harry would be that someone.

Most of the attacks that got through were deflected by Harry's cloak; the snakes' fangs no where near sharp enough or strong enough to pierce through the thick dragon hide that had been reinforced with magic. Unfortunately, Harry's hands (the wizard had left his gloves behind in his anger) and face didn't have the same protection; though the snakes that managed to sink their fangs into his flesh never got a chance to do so a second time as Harry's magic (freed as it was from the bindings and trained to respond to his will alone over the past six months) lashed out and struck down those that slipped through his guard.

It took about fifteen minutes for Harry to finish off all of the snakes that had been part of the trap preventing those in the cave from leaving. During those fifteen minutes, Harry's fury had only grown in leaps and bounds and the atmosphere in the small cavern had become extremely oppressive due to the amount of magic that was swirling around the wizard. The moment he'd finished killing the last of the snakes, Harry moved further into the cave and let his eyes scan the underground cavern until they landed on his target.

"I don't know who the bloody fuck you think you are, you oozing pustule of troll piss, but you've bloody well pissed off the wrong person," Harry snarled from between clenched teeth as he stalked to the center of the cavern. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't split you open from groin to gullet for ordering your Merlin cursed snakes to kill me, not that they ever had a chance in hell of succeeding, and I might give you a quick and painless death rather than the excruciatingly slow and agonizing one I'm currently planning for you."

"He can't hear you," the blue haired woman wearing a pink turtle neck and a large yellow hat stated in the wake of Harry's threat. "He's already dead."

"Well ain't that just fucking brilliant," Harry growled as his anger spiked sharply over having his revenge taken from him by another. "Bloody fucking hell; I wanted answers."

The woman made the mistake of moving at that point and Harry, thinking she was going to attack him, dropped her with a wandless Stunning Spell. The swarm of bees that poured from her hat and rushed to attack him the instant that she fell unconscious was met with a wall of dancing blue flames that incinerated them in an instant. Harry then returned his attention to the man that had pissed him off as he crossed the remaining distance between himself and the dead man, only to find himself being attacked yet again by hundreds of snakes.

It took him a little longer to deal with them this time due to a combination of the long hours spent tracking the man down and the venom coursing through his veins from the bites that had struck flesh during the earlier attack. When the last snake had been dispatched this time, Harry planted the tip of his sword on the ground and leaned heavily against the priceless heirloom as he panted for breath. His vision blurred for a moment as a wave of dizziness hit him and he let out a soft groan of annoyance.

"Hey, are you alright?" Leorio asked with concern as he gingerly reached out and took hold of Harry's elbow; the man more than a little worried about ending up in the same position as the woman. "Damn, you're bleeding; how many times were you bit? Oh, this is not good… the venom has probably had more than enough time to reach your brain and your heart given the location of the bites."

"I'll be fine in just a minute," Harry rasped in reply. "I just need a moment to catch my breath."

"I've got to get you out of here and get you to a doctor…"

"I'm not leaving until I search the bastard; I have to find out if he was just acting on the assumption that it would be easier to kill me so he could steal my badge or if… if he was paid to hunt me down and this was just the first opportunity he had to take me out."

"Okay, if I promise to come back and search his pockets; will you let me get you out of here?"

"It would be a waste of time for you to search him; you don't know what to look for," Harry countered as he pulled his elbow free of Leorio's hold. "If you need to feel useful, please carry that woman and her things out of the cave; as soon as I finish searching the snake charmer, I'm going to set fire to his corpse to destroy it and all of the dead snakes."

"If you aren't out in ten minutes, I'm going to come back down here and haul you out by the scruff of your neck myself; whether you've finished searching him or not," Leorio stubbornly insisted even as he gathered the woman and her things as requested.

"Yes, mother," Harry quipped cheekily as he glanced at the man in time to see him pocket the woman's badge.

Leorio snorted in exasperation as he headed for the exit even as he called back over his shoulder, "Ten minutes, James."

Harry sighed and shook his head before he let go of Gryffindor's sword and dropped to his knees beside the snake charmer so he could root through the man's clothes. It didn't take him long to empty the man's pockets and Harry felt a small measure of relief when he found nothing that would link the man to the wizarding world (no wand or other magical focus, no wizarding money, and nothing else even remotely magical). Harry had then cut the sleeve from the man's left arm to confirm his forearm was bare before he pocketed the man's badge and the card with Harry's number printed on it (which confirmed that he had been the snake charmer's target) and left everything else where it was.

Finished with his search, Harry painstakingly climbed to his feet and summoned all of the rapidly decaying snake parts that were scattered about the cave and stacked them around the man. He then collected Gryffindor's sword before pulling out his wand and casting the strongest flame spell he knew, pouring all of his fury and frustration into the spell. Once he was certain that the fire would not die out before it had completely destroyed the corpses, Harry wearily made his way out of the cave by following the thick cloud of black smoke and soon stepped out into the glare of the afternoon light.

He'd barely set foot out of the tunnel mouth when he felt hands grabbing him and someone tugging on Gryffindor's sword and Harry's magic reacted to the perceived threat; throwing everyone away from him as yanked his sword free of the grasping hands and fell into an offensive stance.

"James, stop!" Kurapika ordered sharply as the blond stepped into Harry's line of sight. "We weren't trying to attack or hurt you; we just wanted to help you! Leorio said you'd been bitten by several venomous snakes and we're concerned for your health; we need to get you to a doctor right away."

"Bloody hell, Kurapika! Do you know how fucking close you just came to dying!?" Harry hollered as his earlier temper returned in a heartbeat. "There's a damn bloody good reason why I never spar with my sword! One cut… one teensy tiny little cut is all it would take for you to die an agonizingly painful death as your body rotted from the inside out from the point of injury in mere seconds!"

"What the hell are you talking about, James? It's just a sword."

"No, it's not just a sword; it's a sword that has been imbued with the venom of one of the deadliest creatures on earth!"

"That's not possible…" Kurapika reflexively denied only to cut off when Harry rammed the tip of Gryffindor's sword into the grass at his feet; causing all of the grass within ten inches of the blade to wilt and blacken in a matter of seconds.

"That would have been you had I accidentally nicked you with my blade because you blindsided me the moment I exited the cave," Harry harshly pointed out. "Now, if you don't mind; I'd like to sit down for a few minutes to catch my breath before we head back to my camp; I don't trust Killua not to have eaten all of the supplies I left behind or not to have injured himself trying to get into my tent despite my warning for him to stay out."

"We still need to get you to a doctor…" Leorio cautiously pointed out only to be cut off by Harry before he could finish.

"I already told you that I'll be fine in a bit; I'm mostly just tired because it took me all damn night and half the day to track down the charmer on top of feeling a little dizzy and sick to my stomach from the venom. All I need to cure the latter problem is a very special little stone that is conveniently waiting for me in my pack."

The moment he finished speaking, Harry pulled Gryffindor's sword out of the ground, staggered over to his trunk, dropped to his knees, and carefully resheathed the blade. He then opened the potions compartment of the trunk and retrieved a small bezoar before closing the trunk and opening it up again to the portable larder to grab a bottle of water. Harry stuffed the small stone into his mouth at that point, cracked open the bottle in his hand, and washed the stone down with half of the water. The young wizard then sighed softly as he closed his trunk, flopped backwards onto the grass, and closed his eyes while he waited for the stone to pull the venom from his veins.

For the next hour, Harry hovered on the very edge of consciousness as the sound of voices rose and fell from over top of him. He briefly felt something cold swiping at his face, hands, and neck (where a couple of snakes had managed to slip inside of his collar to bite him) followed by a distant stinging sensation and a slight pressure as rough fabric slid across his skin before the feeling vanished once more. At the end of that hour, Harry woke up fully, rolled over onto his stomach, and vomited up all of the venom that had been injected into his body along with the partially digested remains of the bezoar. He coughed several times once the heaving stopped before he cleared his throat and spat out the last of the bile and foul venom that had been clinging to the back of the throat.

A hand falling on his back without any warning had Harry throwing himself into a forward roll and twisting himself around the moment his feet came into contact with the ground once more. He then dropped into a low crouch and drew his wand as his eyes searched for and found the person who'd touched him as he mentally prepared to cast a Stunning Spell. An exasperated sigh exploded from his lips when he saw a slightly nervous and concerned Kurapika still crouching beside where he'd been sitting on his hands and knees just moment ago.

Returning his wand to his left bracer, Harry slowly rose to his feet and swayed slightly when the change in position made him feel more than a little lightheaded. He brought his left hand up to brace his head only to pause in confusion when he noted said hand was covered in snugly wrapped bandages that were lightly stained with blood. Further inspection turned up more bandages on his right hand, around his neck, and on his face.

"We cleaned and bandaged the bites for you while you were unconscious," Kurapika explained as he rose to his feet and critically inspected Harry.

"Thank you," Harry quietly replied as he dropped his hands to his side and glanced at the blond again. He then flushed with embarrassment and dropped his gaze as he recalled his earlier behavior. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I'd been a little upset after I was attacked in my camp and more than a little cranky after losing a full night's sleep tracking down the one responsible. I was also both scared and angry over how close I'd come to killing you; something that I would have deeply regretted."

"You don't have to apologize; we should have given you plenty of warning before we grabbed you like we did. You'd just been attacked and were suffering under the effects of the venom you'd been injected with; something that we should have taken into account at the time. Are you feeling better now? Any lingering side effects?"

"I'm fine; just a little weak and still tired. I'll live though, I always do."

Kurapika gave Harry a funny look over the wording of his last statement before he suggested, "We should set up camp and give you time to rest before we meet back up with Killua; you're still looking rather pale."

"No; it will take too long for us to reach the landing point and then I won't have enough time to grab my tent and the other things I left behind since I doubt that they'll give me time to run back and get it once this Phase of the Exam is over. Did the three of you all get the points you need to pass?"

"Yes, Leorio was the last one that still needed his target's badge; Ponzu was his target. Speaking of Ponzu; she won't wake and Leorio said you'd done something to her right after she announced that Bourbon was dead."

"I knocked her out; she'll wake up in a few hours and I'd really rather not be around when she did," Harry explained as he slowly walked forward, leaned over to grab his pack, and swung it up onto his back before he began unbuttoning his cloak. "There are more than enough badges between the four of us for her to get the points she would need to pass the task and she's bound to be pissed about the way things turned out."

"Hand me your pack; I'll carry it for you," Kurapika ordered in resignation.

"I didn't realize we were dating, Kurapika," Harry drawled in amusement as he flicked his gaze up to meet the blond's for a split second. "Are you going to ask to hold my hand next?"

"No, I'm going to turn you over my knee and spank you like the incorrigible brat you are," Kurapika fired back after he rolled his eyes.

"I never knew you'd move so fast; I mean, we've not even had a first date yet. I was hoping for dinner and dancing or at least a movie date before we explored the possibility of a physical relationship."

"Stop being a wise ass and just give me the damn pack."

"No," Harry countered curtly without any of his earlier playfulness before he turned and headed in the direction of his camp; the wizard not in the mood to argue further.

Gon was the first one to catch up to him and Harry spared a quick glance sideways only to blink in surprise when he noticed the rather spectacular shiner the twelve year old sported. He wondered when the kid had gotten it since he didn't remember seeing it when he'd first arrived in the clearing. Harry then began to worry that he'd been the one to clock the kid upside the face when he'd overreacted to being grabbed the moment he'd stepped out of the cave.

"Was I the one that gave you that black eye?" Harry asked quietly as he turned his gaze forwards once more.

"No; I got that yesterday."

Harry felt relief that he hadn't been the one to injure the kid and he let out a soft sigh before he offered, "If it's still bothering you, I have some numbing cream in my pack that will ease the pain and swelling…"

"I don't need it; Leorio already gave me something to put on it."

"Ah, I'd forgotten that I'd given him a jar of the Bruise Balm. Did he tell you the cream needs to be reapplied every six to eight hours?"

"Yes," Gon replied before he reached into his pocket and withdrew the garter snake that Harry had asked him to hold earlier. The kid then thrust the snake out at Harry as he stated, "Here's your friend back."

"Thanks for looking after him for me," Harry replied as he gently collected the snake. The wizard then addressed the snake in parseltongue, '_Your former home has been cleared out; did you wish me to let you go so you can return to the underground cave?_'

'_No; my nest mates were all eaten by the not-snakes that invaded our nest with the two-legged. You promised me a new home, Speaker; I will stay with you until then._'

'_I won't be staying on the island; I leave tomorrow._'

'_It does not matter where you go, Speaker._'

'_I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into,_' Harry stated before he tucked the snake into his pocket to free up his hand.

"I thought you didn't know how to speak to the animals," Gon stated in confusion.

"I only speak snake."

"Oh, why didn't you learn how to speak with the other animals too?"

"I'm not a Beast Speaker," Harry explained as he ducked under a low hanging branch. "I'm only a Snake Speaker; I don't have the ability to learn how to speak to the other animals and while I can learn enough to understand some of the more intelligent creatures, I can't really hold a regular conversation with them; not like I can with the snakes. You have a very rare gift, Gon."

"How do you know that you can't speak to other animals? Have you tried before?" Kurapika inquired from where he and Leorio were walking behind the two shorter boys. "You seemed to understand your two eagles fairly well."

"I know I can't speak to other animals because I can't hear the words when they speak; when I speak to the snakes, it's as if I am speaking to them the same way that you and I are speaking right now. All I can do when it comes to other animals is learn how to recognize certain gestures or sounds and guess at what they mean. With Flip and Flop, they are intelligent enough to understand me when I speak, so it makes it easier for them to use those gestures that are easily recognized; such as shaking or bobbing their heads or pantomiming their answers. It still took me months to learn what each gesture meant or to teach them how to make a specific gesture in response to a question I asked them."

"Where are the two matching menaces anyway?"

"They're protecting my camp; I didn't want to leave the camp unprotected in case any additional snakes that were sent to attack me attacked any of you when you entered the camp."

"Why didn't you just tell the snakes to leave you alone if you can speak to them?" Gon asked next. "That's what I would have done if they had been attacking me."

"I tried… the snake charmer did something to the snakes though; they were like mindless zombies that could neither hear nor understand me. Some of them weren't even real snakes and I have yet to figure out how the bloody tosser managed to create them."

"Did you get the answers you needed from whatever you found or didn't find in Bourbon's pockets?" Leorio asked several minutes later.

"Yes."

"And…?"

"And what?"

"What did you find out?" Leorio demanded with a trace of exasperation.

"Oh… I was just his target for the task."

"Why else did you think he was targeting you, if not as part of the Exam?" Kurapika asked as he moved up to walk beside Harry; the blond apparently no longer worried about getting snapped at again.

"James thought that Bourbon might have been hired to kill him," Leorio answered in Harry's place.

"Why would you think that?" Gon inquired curiously.

"There are a number of individuals that would love to see me dead before my next birthday and one of them is known to have a fondness for snakes in addition to being another Snake Speaker."

"Is he the reason you're taking the Hunter's Exam?"

"No but he was reason enough for me to leave my former residence for a while."

"Why would anyone want to kill you? Did you get mixed up in a bad crowd or something?" Leorio fished as they waded across a small river.

Harry didn't answer for a several minutes as he once again considered just how much he could risk telling the others about him and his life. They'd just reached one of the many footpaths cutting across the island when Harry finally replied, "No, I didn't get mixed up in a bad crowd and I was never involved in anything illegal; though there are a number of individuals that would disagree on both points. As for why anyone would want to kill me; it's complicated and I don't even know all of their reasons for wanting me dead."

"Are you in some kind of witness protection program?" Kurapika asked after a few minutes.

"No but I was smuggled out of the country for my protection because I made enemies in high places and it would have been my word against theirs if I'd been found; if they didn't just kill me outright."

"And the reason you are taking the Hunter's Exam?" Gon asked.

"One of the individuals that helped me escape signed me up before I even knew what he was doing and by the time I found out that he'd applied on my behalf it was too late to protest."

"Are you saying that you aren't here by choice?" Leorio exclaimed in surprise.

"No, I chose to compete in the Exam; it wasn't what I had planned but I really didn't have anything better to do. If they had asked me first, I probably would have told them no but that is probably why they didn't ask me. I think they wanted me to learn how to better protect myself against those that wished me harm. It also gave me some direction after I'd been all but chased out of the country. So, the official reason for my being here isn't too far off; it's just not the full truth."

Nothing more was said as they continued making their way back to Harry's camp.

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	13. Interlude x with x Pranks

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Interlude x with x Pranks

The group reached Harry's camp approximately two hours after sunset where they found Killua sitting in front of Harry's tent glaring at said tent while Flip and Flop kept honking and hissing in obvious laughter from where they were perched on a nearby tree. The kid's hands were red and covered with welts and blisters; making it very obvious that he'd tried to get into the tent despite Harry's warning. Harry silently snorted over how predictable the kid was before he glanced around the rest of the clearing; his amusement fading somewhat when he saw that there were several additional dead snake bodies littered about the clearing. Those rotting bodies a clear indication that there had been several more attacks since Harry had gone searching for the snake charmer.

"You couldn't resist trying to break into my tent, could you?" Harry asked dryly as he wearily crossed the clearing while a smirk crept back onto his face after he pushed the snake charmer's attack from his mind.

"I wanted to know what you're hiding in there; there's nothing special about a tent, after all," Killua complained as he glanced up over his shoulder to scowl at Harry. "What happened to you? You look like you lost a fight with a roll of toilet paper."

Harry chuckled softly to himself over the fact that Killua had called the tent nothing special considering just how special that tent was before he decided to mess with the kid's head a bit as he replied, "I'll have you know that that tent is very special; after all, how many tents have you seen that have a fully furnished one-bedroom flat inside of them? And the bandages are mostly for show; I was bit by a few snakes earlier this afternoon."

"There's no way you have an apartment hiding in that tent; it's no where near big enough and it would be far too heavy for you to carry it around if it was filled with a bunch of furniture," Killua countered as his scowl turned into a glare.

"If you say so," Harry replied airily as he dropped down onto his knees and crawled into the tent. "I'll be out in about half an hour; I need a shower."

Harry snickered as he dropped his pack down beside the door and headed for his shower. He was waylaid in his bedroom by Dobby; the little elf eyeing him critically as he noted the bandages wrapped around Harry's hands, neck, and face.

"You is getting into troubles again, Master Harry," Dobby complained as he scowled at Harry.

"Not on purpose, Dobby. The guy I was dealing with had far more snakes than I anticipated though and they refused to listen to me. Speaking of snakes; I need a home for a little friend I picked up. It needs to have an underground burrow for him to sleep and hide in, a river or pond with lots of small fish and frogs for him to eat, tall grass for additional hiding places, and some rocks, bushes, and branches to climb on. It will also need to be someplace slightly tropical (like the island we're on right now) with places to bask in the sunlight and plenty of room to move about. Finding him a couple of girl snakes so he won't get lonely would be a plus too but I don't know if there are any more garter snakes like him on the island anywhere and I won't have time to look before I have to leave tomorrow."

"Dobby will take care of it. Would Master Harry also like Dobby to fix him supper?"

"If you have time; I don't want to keep you from your other duties."

"Dobby has time right now."

"Alright then, supplies are in my pack and it doesn't matter what you make, just make enough for at least eight people; I've got company camping with me for the night and I suspect two of them have hollow legs. For pudding, just leave me out a couple bags of marshmallows, two boxes of graham crackers, a dozen and a half chocolate bars, and the metal roasting skewers; we'll make s'mores around the campfire."

Dobby nodded and popped away to take care of things while Harry undressed and got ready to take his shower; setting the snake in the center of his bed so it could make itself comfortable for the night (Harry planned to sleep outside again so he wouldn't oversleep and miss the deadline for the task). He then removed the bandages and got his first look at all of the snake bites; most of them still swollen, bruised, and seeping blood and clear fluid. The wizard made a mental note to check through his supplies for something that would speed up the healing before he stepped into the shower and sighed in pleasure as the hot water washed over him.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was using a small pipette to place a tiny drop of unfiltered phoenix tears onto each puncture wound; the teen had found the vial of tears amidst his potion supplies. It didn't take much to heal each bite due to the majority of the venom being leeched out of his system earlier by the bezoar. Once he'd finished treating each wound (Dobby had helped him with those on his neck and face before he left), Harry applied Bruise Balm to the numerous bruises around the bite marks before using his wand to rebandage them (another spell that he'd learned from the Dueler's Grimoire). A half dose of Mulled Stone's Blood washed away Harry's fatigue and gave him enough energy to face those outside.

On his way out the door, Harry grabbed the basket full of food that Dobby had made and the dessert supplies he'd requested. All four of his companions were taken aback when Harry crawled out of the tent with his hair unbound and still wet, wearing nothing but a pair of breeches, and carrying the large basket of food. He smirked at them as he made himself comfortable beside the campfire one of them had started while he was taking his shower and treating his wounds before he started passing out food.

"Why is your hair wet?" Gon asked curiously around a bit of baked chicken.

"Where did you get all of this food?" Kurapika asked at the same time.

"I took a shower and the food is from my supplies."

"You probably just dumped a bottle of water on your hair to play mind games with us," Killua stated with a slight scowl that looked more like a pout on the kid's face.

"No he didn't, I can smell the scent of soap and shampoo on him under the bruise cream along with a scent I don't recognize; something that smells of fire, salt, and feathers," Gon stated as he sniffed at the air. "Can you tell me what that smell is from, James?"

"I treated the bites with a special solution I have on hand that will speed up the healing process in combination with the Bruise Balm."

"Why do you have so many advanced medicines on you? Are you planning on being a doctor?" Leorio inquired as he added more food to his plate.

"No, I have a tendency of ending up hurt whenever trouble comes calling for me; today was a prime example."

"Is it that you are clumsy or that you're a perpetual trouble magnet?"

"After watching us spar the other day, you should know that James is anything but clumsy, Leorio," Kurapika pointed out with a head shake and a grin. "Although, he does have a tendency to rush in and leave himself wide open at times."

"Tch, give me a break; I've only been playing with sharp and pointy things for six and a half months. Anyway, did you get your target's badge, Killua?"

"Yes."

"Guess that means that all five of us pass this task; providing nothing goes wrong tomorrow," Harry remarked as he finished the small serving of shepherd's pie he'd served himself (his stomach still a bit queasy from the remnants of the venom) and brought out the graham crackers, chocolate bars, marshmallows, and skewers and passed some of each to the others (ignoring the fact that they were still eating supper) before he stuck a marshmallow onto his skewer and held it out over the flames. "Makes you wonder what they'll set us to doing next."

"Well, they tested our endurance in the First Phase, our adaptability in the Second, our ingenuity in the Third, and our cunningness in the Fourth," Kurapika mused thoughtfully. "So, they will potentially test us on our intelligence, strength, or resolve in the Final Phase."

"They will probably have us fight one another in some kind of tournament," Killua insisted a heart beat later. "They'll want to see what we are capable of doing."

"They already had us fighting one another in this task though," Leorio pointed out.

"Not really; all they did was pit us against one another," Harry countered with a negligent wave of his hand. "The entire Exam was already doing that. A one on one fight with set rules would give each individual a better chance to showcase their skills. There's also a possibility that they will give us some kind of written exam as well; to test our knowledge."

The debate over what the next task would entail lasted another two hours before all five of them crashed. Kurapika and Leorio both moved away from the campfire so that their group didn't make an easy target in case the camp was attacked during the night (the two of them unaware of Harry's wards). Harry moved to sleep right in front of his tent. And Gon and Killua ended up curled up together right next to the dying campfire; the two twelve year olds looking like a pair of puppies snuggling together for warmth.

Harry would later regret sleeping outside with others as he had his first nightmare in months; a rather nasty one that had been triggered by the snake attacks. The horrible dream had used his memory of the graveyard and Voldemort's rebirth and fused it with his memory of what had happened inside of the cave. His mind had then twisted the two memories even further so that it was his friends from Hogwarts and his current companions that had been struck down by the acid green light of the Killing Curse before they appeared again to be struck down by Harry using Gryffindor's sword as he fought the snakes and lost control of himself.

His screams would wake all four of the individuals sharing his camp several hours before dawn.

The moment Harry clawed his way out of the nightmare; he rolled over and puked on the ground as broken sobs racked his body. Interspersed between the sobbing and heaving, the fifteen year old wizard cussed and cursed at himself for being weak, at Voldemort for murdering his parents, at Pettigrew for murdering Cedric on the Dark Lord's orders, at Dumbledore for orchestrating his entire miserable life, at Snape for being a patsy to both dark lords in his life, and at the Dursleys for just existing. He had just about reached the end of his tirade and his body had nearly fallen still when he was abruptly reminded that he was not alone.

"Is everything alright, James?"

Harry froze and fell silent the moment he heard the partially familiar voice cutting through the grief and rage filled haze that had engulfed him during his nightmare; his emotions shutting themselves off in an instant. The wizard then slowly sat up so that he was kneeling on his knees before he turned to find four worried faces watching him with concern. A deep flush of shame colored his neck and face the moment he realized they must have heard both his nightmare and the tantrum that had followed the nightmare.

He quickly dropped his gaze away from their faces as he rose gracefully, if a little shakily, to his feet before he quietly replied, "I'm fine. I'm just… going to… go for a walk. I'll be back later."

Harry then bolted out of the clearing as fast as his legs could carry him. He wouldn't stop running until he broke free from the forest and tripped in the soft sands of the beach when the ground unexpectedly became unstable beneath his feet. He lay panting beneath the stars for several minutes before he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and retreated to the forest line to climb up to the top of the tallest tree he could find. There he stayed for the rest of the night; staring out over the ocean much like the times he'd sat on the bowsprit or up in the crow's nest on the Kaijinmaru when he'd still been having nightmares every night back in June and July.

In that moment, Harry missed the Kaijinmaru and its crew far more than he'd ever missed Hogwarts and his friends in the beginning. The ship had become home to him; a home where he'd been happy, where he hadn't had to worry about his fame, where there had been no expectations of him, and where he'd simply lived from day to day without fear. The crew had treated him as one of them and they'd taught him the tricks of their trade on top of teaching him how to make himself stronger. He was half tempted to quit the Hunter's Exam right then and there and find his way back to the ship.

Only his pride kept him from giving up now that he was so close to completing the Exam.

Harry stayed at the top of the tree until the sun cleared the horizon. He then cast the Notice-Me-Not Charm on himself before he pulled his broom out of the mokeskin pouch that he never took off and took to the sky; letting the freedom he felt in the air wash away the last of his inner turmoil from his nightmare as he chased the seagulls for an hour. The wizard then turned his broom towards camp knowing that he still had to pack up his things before the time ran out for the Fourth Phase. Half an hour later, he landed just outside the clearing where he'd set up camp and put away his broom before he canceled the charm hiding his presence and walked into camp.

"Have the lot of you eaten breakfast yet?" Harry asked the moment he'd noticed the relieved glances cast his way as the others took note of his return.

"What do you have for food?" Killua asked in the wake of the other questions.

Harry didn't feel like rattling off a list since he couldn't really remember what he had in his pack and so instead of replying, he asked, "What do you want?"

"Fresh donuts," Killua challenged with a smirk.

"Any other special requests?" Harry asked with an answering smirk.

"I could really sink my teeth into a ham and cheese omelet with bacon and rye toast on the side," Leorio mused with a slightly dreamy expression.

"I'd like some donuts too," Gon stated with enthusiasm. "The round ones with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles on them."

"Kurapika…?"

"Fruit would be fine; if you have any."

"I'll be out in twenty or thirty minutes with your orders," Harry cheekily replied as he ducked into his tent. He then called for Dobby as he headed towards his bathroom and the shower. The moment the eager elf turned up, Harry paused and requested, "Dobby, do you think you have time to make a large batch of fresh donuts, a large ham and cheese omelet, a pack of bacon, and several pieces of rye toast for me please?"

"Dobby has time, what kind of donuts does Master Harry wish for Dobby to make?"

"Hmm… all kinds; at least four of each and make certain you include several extras of the round ones with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles. I also wouldn't mind a couple of iced cinnamon rolls with chopped nuts and raisins. I've still got company for breakfast, so don't worry about making too many; the younger boys will happily devour most of the donuts, I'm sure."

"Dobby will get right to it," the elf exclaimed happily as he popped away again (the elf rarely ever used the tent's kitchen to cook in unless Harry was talking to him as he worked).

Harry smiled fondly and shook his head over the enthusiasm the little guy always showed whenever Harry asked him to perform some special task or favor. He stepped into his bedroom a minute later and froze in shock as his eyes landed on the new addition in the room that hadn't been there the night before. Butted up against the wall that sat opposite of the wall separating the bathroom from the bedroom there was a new aquarium that ran from one side of the bedroom to the other.

The glass tank stood three feet tall, fifteen feet long (the length of the room), and a foot wide on the outside with a hinged glass door on the right side of the tank. It was perched on a pale oak and brass stand with several drawers and cupboards that matched the rest of the décor. The top of the tank was covered with a solid oaken lid that capped the entire tank. The new tank was also far larger on the inside than it was on the outside and appeared to contain a small section of Zevil Island that had been scooped up and carefully tucked into the tank. Harry would later discover that the tank also had an artificial weather system (completely generated by magic) that mimicked the exact weather conditions of Zevil Island (including the temperature, humidity, and seasonal storms in addition to a day and night cycle).

On the left side of the tank, was a rock cliff that wrapped around from the shortest side of the tank to about a quarter of the length along the back; complete with rock ledges, moss, ferns, vines, and a running waterfall that splashed down into a pond at the base of the cliff. The pond took up one third of the total length of the tank, stretching from the base of the cliff at the back of the tank to the front of the tank, and appeared to be at least four feet deep near the cliffs with the depth getting shallower as it reached the edge of the pond. There were all kinds of aquatic plants growing in the pond (water lilies, reeds, and duck weed to name a few) and a large selection of the local fresh water fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and insects could be seen swimming in the water or sitting in the plants.

The middle third of the tank had several small trees growing up against the back of the tank and an assortment of wild grasses, brush, ground cover, and flowering plants growing in front of them. In front of the trees, sat one of the larger pieces of driftwood that Harry had collected; one end of the piece half submerged in the shallows of the pond. Several small species of mammals (such as mice, voles, and shrews) could be seen moving about on the ground in that section while a few finches and other small song birds could be seen flying or sitting in the trees. There were also additional insects fluttering about in the middle section; most notably bees, butterflies, several different kinds of smaller beetles, and several species of spiders.

The final third of the tank had sparse ground cover and an artful stack of stone slabs that formed a low cave with an open tunnel disappearing into the shadows inside of the cave. Several vines, ferns, and flowering weeds were growing over the stones that made up the cave (giving it a more natural appearance and providing stability) with bare, flat sections of stone with weak heating charms applied to them poking through here and there. Unseen, several burrows sat beneath the cave with a network of tunnels connecting them all together and a second exit tunnel opening up behind the trees in the center section of the tank. Basking in and around the stone pile/cave were several garter snakes that were the same exact species as the one that had helped Harry track down the snake charmer.

Dobby had mistakenly took Harry's desire to find the snake a new home to mean that Harry wanted to keep the snake as a pet in a cage that mimicked its true home.

Harry sighed as he quickly realized that he wouldn't be able to tell Dobby that he'd made a mistake without hurting the elf's feelings or making all the work the elf had put into creating the terrarium a waste of time. He only hoped that the snake he'd made the deal with was happy with the arrangement and that the additional snakes that Dobby had managed to find were not upset at being relocated. He'd ask them later; right now he needed a quick shower and change of clothes before he joined the others for breakfast.

Putting the terrarium out of his mind, Harry headed into the bathroom to clean up. Just before he climbed into the shower, he took the time to inspect his injuries from the night before and was pleased to see that the bites had healed up during the night and the bruises had mostly disappeared leaving only a few of the deeper bruises still visible. After his shower, Harry dressed once more in jeans, a t-shirt, boots, gloves, and his dueling cloak without bothering to replace the bandages that he'd worn through the night. He also didn't forget to thread the red scarf he'd been given through his belt loops before he re-braided his hair and pulled on Jacob's old cap (recasting the light sticking charm on it to keep it secured in place.

Once he was dressed, he headed back towards the living room and kitchen where Dobby was waiting with the requested food. Harry thanked the elf (for both the food and the snake tank), packed up the last of his things, grabbed a selection of fruit from his pack, and carried both his pack-trunk and the food outside to where the others were waiting. Harry passed the fruit to Kurapika, the boxed omelet, bacon, and toast to Leorio, and then dug his requested cinnamon rolls out of the box of still warm donuts before he passed the box to Gon and Killua. The look of absolute disbelief on Killua's face when the kid discovered that the donuts were freshly made as requested and not just warmed up was utterly priceless and it made Harry smirk at the twelve year old.

Watching Gon and Killua fight over the donuts was rather amusing; especially when Flip or Flop would swoop in and steal one right out of their hands every now and then. Harry was at least thankful that he'd pulled his cinnamon rolls out first; otherwise he didn't think he would have ever gotten any of them as the two twelve year olds scarfed down the sugary pastries in record time. It wasn't until after they'd finished eating that Harry realized he'd made a huge mistake; he'd willingly fed both boys (yet again), he'd willingly catered to their taste buds, and he'd given them a huge amount of sugar. Kurapika and Leorio both glared at Harry as the two now hyper boys began bouncing off the trees.

Harry didn't endear himself to the two older applicants when he joined in the ruckus the moment he'd packed up his tent and other supplies either. The wizard slinging mud balls that he'd made at both kids while Flip and Flop dive bombed them from above with more mud bombs and fresh seaweed. Kurapika and Leorio were both dragged into the mud war when Gon and Killua accidentally (on purpose) caught the two of them in the crossfire. By the time they heard a loud announcement ringing through the forest declaring that the Fourth Phase would be ending in less than an hour, all five of them were practically covered in mud from head to foot and grinning like loons.

The five of them grabbed their things, doubled checked to make certain that they had both of their badges, and headed towards the landing point. Harry hung back momentarily to discreetly drop the wards that had protected and hidden the clearing for the past five days before he caught back up with the others. As he joined the conversation the others had started, Harry realized that he was no longer feeling haunted by the nightmares that had woken him or the dark memories that had fueled them and a new spring entered the wizard's step as he hoped that meant it was just a one time thing.

They were still laughing and chatting animatedly when they strode out of the trees to join the other three applicants that had gathered at the landing point. All three of the older men glanced up as their group practically tumbled into the open; all three of them then frowned at their group's rather childish behavior as Gon and Killua tried to knock Harry off his feet while the wizard used a combination of fancy gymnastic and acrobatic moves to prevent them from doing so. Gon went uncharacteristically silent the moment his eyes fell on number forty-four who was chatting quietly with the rather disturbing looking number three-oh-one. Standing on the opposite side of the landing from those two was number two-ninety-four.

Just before the time for the task ran out, applicant numbers fifty-three and one-ninety-one both showed up making it an even ten applicants that had returned to the landing point. Once the time had run out, all ten of them were required to prove that they had the number of points required to pass the task; each of them holding up either two or four badges (depending on whether or not they'd kept their own badge and gained their target's badge or if they'd had to collect three other badges in addition to one of the other two). Harry was a bit surprised when he saw Gon had number forty-four's badge and he wondered how the twelve year old had gotten the badge from the creepy guy and if he'd been the one who'd given the kid the shiner he was still sporting (though it was more than half healed).

Harry's silent musings were interrupted as they were instructed to board the boat that had brought them to the island so that they could return to Trick Tower Island where the airship that had delivered them to Trick Tower over a week earlier was waiting to collect them. The ten of them were then congratulated for passing the first four phases of this year's Hunter's Exam and informed them that details for the Final Phase of the Exam would be given to them when they reached their final destination.

In no time at all, they were disembarking from the small boat and boarding the airship where they were warmly greeted by the examiners from the earlier phases and the chairman before being informed that they would have three days in which to rest and relax as they made their way to their next destination. Harry felt slightly annoyed over the additional delay; he was more than ready for the Exam to be over and done with so he could decide what he was going to do with his life once he knew whether or not he'd earned his license.

He was further annoyed when Kurapika and Leorio dragged him (all but kicking and screaming) to the infirmary that was onboard the aircraft after the five of them had claimed one of the dorm rooms to share and he'd set up his tent for Flip and Flop.

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	14. Give x and x Take

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Fourteen: Give x and x Take

"What brings the three of you to the infirmary?" a tall, middle aged man with light brown hair liberally peppered with gray and white, pale hazel eyes that were open and friendly, and a pencil thin mustache over full lips asked as the three of them entered the room.

"We were concerned for our friend's health," Leorio stated as he shoved Harry forward while Kurapika blocked the door to prevent the wizard from bolting out of the infirmary. "He was bit by at least two dozen snakes yesterday; all of them venomous."

"I told you, I'm fine; I treated myself already," Harry hissed as he glared up at Leorio.

"You treated yourself, you say? Exactly how did you manage that? Did you have access to the appropriate antivenin for each of the species of snake that you were bitten by? And which species of snake were you attacked by?"

"There were at least six different species and I had a general all-purpose aide to deal with the venom that I took within a half an hour of being bit," Harry replied as he turned to face the man. He then frowned as he took in the man's pale mint green scrubs that he was wearing beneath a white lab coat before demanding, "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Doctor Neil Mackle," the man replied even as he arched an eyebrow at Harry's borderline rudeness. "And might I ask for your name, young man?"

"James Evans."

"Evans… Evans… why does that name ring a bell," Dr. Mackle muttered as dug through his pockets until he pulled out a wrinkled piece of folded paper that crinkled loudly as he unfolded it. "Ah! That's why; Chairman Netero requested that I give you a complete physical during the flight to insure that you are physically fit enough to participate in the Final Phase of the Exam since you are the only applicant that has not had a physical in the last five years. So, I guess I owe your friends my gratitude for dragging you to see me before I had to hunt you down myself. Why don't you go ahead and strip down to your boxers and have a seat on the nearest bed while I go grab a blank chart so I can start a file for you."

"I am so pranking the two of you for a month of Sundays for this," Harry hissed as he pulled off his dueling cloak and set it over the back of the chair sitting beside the closest bed.

Neither Kurapika nor Leorio looked particularly worried about the threat as they calmly dropped themselves into a couple of nearby chairs (to make certain that Harry didn't try to sneak out). Harry scowled at them both one more time before he stripped down to his boxers; taking the time to neatly fold each item as he took it off despite the fact that all of his clothes were still covered in mud. The doctor returned just as Harry finished and the man finally noted the mud in Harry's hair and covering his face and he clicked his tongue before shooing Harry into the infirmary's bathroom to wash up.

Once he returned to the main part of the infirmary, Dr. Mackle began his physical exam by weighing and measuring him before checking his temperature and blood pressure. The man then checked his eyes, ears, nose, and throat, listened to his lungs, tested his reflexes, and photographed all of his scars. The doctor also asked an endless stream of questions about Harry's diet, exercise routine, and past medical history as he poked and prodded the teen. Long used to the magical approach to health check-ups (which involved nothing more than a bit of wand waving and a few spells), Harry was quickly becoming both irritated and uncomfortable with the necessary hands on approach of the muggle doctor.

The fifteen year old wizard managed to contain his temper through the ordeal right up until the man prepared to draw blood from him. Panic and fury filled the wizard as he recalled the last time someone had drawn his blood and what had been done with the blood that had been stolen from him. The moment that Dr. Mackle began prepping a syringe and pulling out the numerous vials he intended to fill with Harry's blood (vials that looked far too much like the vial that Pettigrew had used to collect his blood after he'd sliced the crook of Harry's right elbow), the teen dove from the bed, snatched up his clothes, and bolted from the room without bothering to dress.

The three individuals that had been in the room with him had been caught completely off guard by Harry's reaction and were therefore slow to give chase. Harry had made good use of his head start; pulling on his shirt and dueling cloak as he ran while he tucked his boots, gloves, and pants into his mokeskin pouch to free up his hands. He'd then run through the maze of corridors that filled the airship until he found an empty utility closet that he ducked inside. A quick flick of his wrist had the door locked with a small burst of magic as the teen fell back against the wall and dropped down to the floor as he struggled to catch his breath.

He must have sat there for a full hour before he calmed down enough to finish getting dressed; though he was still not quite thinking straight as he remained huddled inside of the dark closet. He had been sitting in that closet for close to four hours when he heard the airship's intercom crackle to live to announce that Chairman Netero would be interviewing each of the applicants in order of their badge numbers. An hour after that, Harry heard his number and alias called and he considered ignoring the instructions to head to the Chairman's office until his name was called out a second time.

Slipping out of the closet after he unlocked the door, Harry cautiously made his way towards Netero's office; needing to ask for directions at least twice on the way there. The entire time he moved through the ship, the wizard jumped at every shadow that moved and froze each time someone appeared unexpectedly. He was a complete and utter mess by the time he reached Netero's office (both physically and mentally as his clothes were still coated with dried mud); every muscle in his body tight with tension, his heart rate through the roof, his breathing fast and shallow, and his eyes wide, glazed, and constantly darting about.

Harry hesitated a brief moment before knocking on the door to announce his presence. Chairman Netero called for him to enter almost as soon as his knuckles tapped the door and Harry hesitated again (his fear still governing his actions) before he opened the door and reluctantly the room; his eyes darting about to search for threats. He quickly took note of the Japanese theme that dominated the room's décor and that the room was empty bar himself and the old man seated beside the low table in the middle of the room.

"Ah, glad to see you've finally made it, young man; I was beginning to believe that you'd gotten yourself lost or had decided to drop out of the exam. Please have a seat so we may begin."

Harry studied Netero for a minute before he did as instructed; kneeling down on the small mat that sat on the opposite side of the table from the old man unmindful of the chunks of dried mud that flaked off his clothes. He felt more than a little uncomfortable with the intense scrutiny that the man was giving him in return and Harry felt decidedly naked under that gaze.

"I was informed that you spent several hours in the infirmary upon boarding; I trust that any injuries you received were minor enough that they will not prevent you from participating in the Final Phase?"

Harry flinched violently at the reminder of where he'd been earlier and what the doctor had wanted from him before he rasped out a terse, "I'm fine."

"That is good to hear," Netero murmured as he picked up a file from the floor that he flipped through for a moment before he opened a pot of ink and palmed a Japanese calligraphy brush. The man then returned his gaze to Harry as he asked, "Why do you want to become a Hunter?"

"It's complicated," Harry quietly replied after a short internal debate on whether or not it would be wise to give the man an evasive answer; eventually he decided that it would be best to be completely honest. "Entering the Hunter's Exam wasn't exactly my idea but I didn't have any better ideas at the time and I thought that entering the Exam would at least give me a chance to find out who I am and who it is that I want to be. The chance to grow stronger was also appealing as I can't afford to remain weak; so I guess the prospect of being trained by a professional Hunter was something that kept me from dropping out of the Exam despite the tasks being rather easy and boring."

"Training? What kind of training could the Hunter's Association possibly provide for a young wizard who should, by rights, be sequestered within a rather drafty Scottish castle at this precise moment in time, young man?"

A lance of pure terror shot through Harry as he bolted to his feet and danced back away from the man the moment the man admitted to knowing that Harry was a wizard. He reached towards his left bracer to draw his wand, only to let out a soft hiss of irritation as he realized that it would be far too dangerous to use too much magic in the airship while it was flying. His next course of action was to flee the room and he dashed to the door only to find that it had been locked after he'd entered the room.

"Calm yourself, young man; I mean you no harm."

"Bugger that! Let me out of here," Harry barked back over his shoulder without looking as he rattled the door again.

"Sit down, _Mr. Evans_; you will not be leaving this room until we are finished with our discussion," Netero ordered in a voice that demanded instant compliance.

Harry slowly let go of the door and turned around to face Netero as the blood drained from his face over the realization that the man obviously suspected that Harry had lied to him about his name (due to the way he'd stressed Harry's alias); making him fear that the man knew exactly who he was (he had mentioned Hogwarts specifically, even if he didn't name the school). He then slumped back against the door and covered his face with his hands as he silently cursed himself for a fool.

"Sit down," Netero repeated in a much softer tone.

Harry wearily dropped his hands and pushed away from the door, defeat evident in every line of his posture as he slowly crossed the room, sank back onto the mat, and bowed his head. He swallowed around the lump of fear in his throat as he hoarsely asked, "How did you know that I was a wizard?"

"You mean aside from the fact that most concealment charms do not work on surveillance cameras and normal brooms do not fly?" Netero dryly asked in return. "Simple; I recognized your eyes and the last name you claimed as your own."

"Will I be disqualified now?" Harry asked quietly as he cringed over that little nugget of information; he'd not known that Notice-Me-Not Charms could not fool security cameras. "Am I going to be arrested or something for being here?"

"Whether or not you are disqualified will depend upon how you answer my questions and whether or not you pass the Final Phase. As to your other question… why would you think you'd be arrested?"

"I was told that Hunters hunted wizards."

"Well, there is truth in that; we hunt Dark Wizards and Witches to keep the peace. And some Hunters are sent after other magicals for reasons known only to their clients; after all, not all Hunters are saints and they aren't above performing assassinations for the right price."

"Oh."

"Now, shall we continue, young man? We were discussing your interest in training and the reasons why you weren't attending Hogwarts for said training based upon your last known address."

"I don't want to die, sir."

"I'm not following your logic, young man. Perhaps a little background information…?"

Harry stared at the man for a long time as he weighed the risks he'd be taking if he told this man the truth. Eventually, he pulled his legs up and rested his cheek on his knees (unmindful of the dried mud) as he quietly began, "My parents were murdered when I was still a baby and I was sent to live with my mother's half-sister. Growing up, I was repeatedly told that my parents were good for nothing drunks and drug addicts that died in a car crash and that I should have died with them…"

For the next three hours, Harry talked himself hoarse as he spoke about growing up with the Dursleys, finding out he was a wizard, learning the truth about his parents, and each of his four years at Hogwarts. The only things he did not speak of were the fact that he was still in contact with his godfather (his need to protect Sirius far too ingrained in his magic and his soul), his true name or age, and the names of his parents (his fear of Dumbledore too great to mention either of the latter two). He wasn't quite certain why he was opening up to the old man sitting across from him but it somehow felt right to do so (the young wizard unaware that he was being subtly manipulated by the Nen of a hidden Hunter).

"…and after overhearing Dumbledore and Snape plotting my death, I knew that I had to escape. I had help getting out of the castle and ended up in Gringotts. The goblins then helped to set everything up and made arrangements for me to be smuggled out of Britain entirely. I boarded the ship that evening and now here I am," Harry finished tiredly; his throat dry and scratchy from talking for so long.

"Here, drink this; it will sooth your throat," Netero instructed as he poured Harry a cup of green tea and added a spoonful of honey to it before passing it to the teen. "I must say, that was a far different tale than the one I was expecting and if I was not already familiar with the magical world, then I would have thought you were telling me tall tales. I thank you for be honest with me, young man."

Harry shifted awkwardly in response to the man thanking him before he muttered out a barely heard acknowledgement; he was feeling distinctly uncomfortable now that he thought about just how much he'd told the older man. After a few minutes he pushed the feeling aside as he asked, "Can I go now?"

"Not just yet; I wanted to ask you about what happened earlier in the infirmary. Why did you run from Dr. Mackle towards the end of your medical exam?"

"He was going to steal my blood…"

"He was not stealing your blood, young man; he was simply going to take a couple of samples of your blood so that he could screen your blood for potential health issues."

"There's nothing wrong with me."

"You're still going to need to give him a sample of your blood…"

"The last time someone took a 'sample' of my blood, they raised the Dark Lord with it. Like hell, I'm going to risk that happening a second time! My blood is going to stay right where it belongs," Harry stubbornly growled as he shifted on the cushion and prepared to flee the room again.

"Oh," Chairman Netero breathed in surprise once he'd taken a moment to analyze Harry's declaration. "I suppose we can readdress that particular issue another time. There were also several things you mentioned that I would like to discuss in more depth with you but that can wait until after the Final Phase of the Exam; when we see whether or not you earn your license."

Harry hummed noncommittally in response as he shifted once again; his panic still sitting dangerously close to the surface due to the previous subject. When it seemed as if nothing more was going to be said, he asked, "Are we done yet? I have things I need to do."

"Almost, we still need to finish your original interview; which should not take very long as I only have two final questions for you; first, can you tell me which of your fellow applicants you have kept an eye on since the start of the exam?"

"All of them, I suppose… though I wish I would have paid closer attention to the blasted snake charmer."

"Interesting. Final question; which of the remaining applicants would you least want to fight?"

Harry hummed thoughtfully for a moment as he considered the five applicants that he didn't really know all that well before he replied, "Number three-oh-one… there's something about that man that bothers me and forty-four is more than a little creepy."

"Thank you, Mr. Evans; I do believe that that was everything that I needed from you. Did you have any questions that you would like to ask me before you leave?"

"Just one, sir," Harry replied as he looked up to meet Netero's gaze for the first time since the man had revealed that he knew about Harry's status as a wizard. "Earlier you said you'd recognized my eyes and for the last five years everyone has always told me that I have my mother's eyes… So, can you please tell me, when you met my mother?"

"I'm sorry, young man, but I do not believe that I ever met your mother," Chairman Netero countered as he set his brush down and leaned back to study Harry for a moment. "I was, however, good friends with a wizard by the name of Gregory Evans right up until he was killed back in forty-three and I remained in touch with his son, Samuel, right up until he moved to England. Their eyes were the exact same shade of green as yours and Greg once told me that I would only ever see eyes like his on those magicals that had Evans blood running through their veins. I suspected that you were related to both men the moment I saw your eyes."

"You knew my great-grandfather and grandfather…?" Harry parroted back as his mouth went dry. "Can you…? Will you please…? What were they like?"

"Greg was one of the best damned Hunters I ever had the privilege of fighting alongside," Netero replied with a small, fond smile. "And his son would have made a damned fine Hunter too, if he'd chosen to seek his license. Now, shoo, young man; I have work to do."

Harry nodded and stood up on legs that had gone numb from sitting in one position for so long. He then left the room without a backwards glance as he sought to put as much distance between himself and the old man as possible as the intercom crackled to life once more to inform Killua that it was his turn to be interviewed. Harry began heading back towards the dorm he'd set his tent up in only to change directions at the last minute; he had no desire to be dragged to the infirmary a second time by Kurapika and Leorio. He ended up wandering aimlessly for close to an hour before he had the misfortune of crossing paths with applicant number forty-four for the first time.

One minute, he'd been walking down an empty hallway and the next he'd been faced with a dead end he swore hadn't been there a minute earlier. He simply turned around to retrace his footsteps only to find himself trapped in a six foot by six foot stretch of hallway with the redheaded man watching him with hooded amber eyes from where he was leaning against the wall just a few feet away from him. Harry scowled at being caught off guard by the unexpected presence of the other man and he dropped his hand down to rest on the hilt of his practice sword while silently cursing the fact that he'd left his pack (and Gryffindor's sword) in his tent.

"You are an intriguing little mouse," the man stated in a near purr as he dropped his eyes to take in the new position of Harry's right hand before they flicked back up to meet Harry's gaze. "I'm also rather impressed that a little waif like you managed to make it this far seemingly without effort. It makes me eager to see how well you fight when you are backed into a corner."

"What exactly is it that you want from me?" Harry cautiously asked as he frowned in response to the man's words.

"Ah, such a forward little mouse you are; to cut right to the point instead of enjoying a bit of small talk. The impatience of youth never fails to amuse and annoy me."

"If you were interested in small talk, you'd have approached me in a more public location instead of ambushing me in the hallways alone. And while I might have come off as impatient; you, on the other hand, are just coming off as being rude on top of painting yourself as a creepy pedophile."

"Such a brave little mouse you are; considering the fact that I am holding your life in the palm of my hand right now."

"Ah, familiar ground at last," Harry drawled in understanding as he dropped his hand away from his practice sword so he could fold his arms across his chest and use the movement to palm his wand. "I must admit that that was one of the most subtle death threats that I've received through the years. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that it didn't inspire the fear you might have been hoping it would. After all, death threats are a dime a dozen and I've had far older, far uglier, and far more powerful people threatening my life since the day I was born. Was that all you wanted with me? If so, could you please leave? You're practically boring me to tears and I have other things I'd much rather be doing."

"I'm boring you?" the man repeated incredulously.

"Nearly to tears," Harry confirmed as he pretended to stifle a yawn.

The atmosphere in the blocked off section of the hallway grew oppressive a heartbeat later as the man closed his eyes, threw his head back, ran his hands over his body, and moaned in ecstasy. Already wary about being cornered and still barely keeping hold of the panic that had seized him earlier, Harry sprung into action the moment the man took his off of him. His wand hand snapped up and he cast the Notice-Me-Not and Muffling Charms on himself while his left hand dug his invisibility cloak out and pulled it on around him before he moved to the opposite side of the closed off space before he crouched down low to wait.

"Oh, little mouse; you certainly know how to…" the man began as he finally seemed to come back to his senses only to trail off when he finally opened his eyes and discovered that Harry had vanished. The shocked look on the man's face was rather comical and Harry would have sniggered if not for the seriousness of the situation. All amusement died a second later when the look on the man's face turned rather frightening and he purred, "What a clever little mouse you've turned out to be. I believe that I shall truly enjoy chasing after you in what is promising to be a very exciting game of cat and mouse."

Harry shuddered as he watched the man pull down whatever illusion it was he'd used to seal off the hallway before he walked away. Once he was gone, Harry sagged back against the wall and pressed his hands to his face as he thought to himself, _Merlin's grubby and moth eaten undershorts; I think that man frightens me more than Voldemort and all of his Death Eaters combined. _

Eventually, he climbed to his feet and made his way back to the dorm where his tent was sitting; leaving both the spells and his invisibility cloak on in order to avoid everyone. Harry was more than a little surprised to find the dorm room completely empty before he realized that the other four must either be out searching for him or attending their own interviews (Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon had the highest numbers out of all the applicants left). In the end, it didn't matter where they were or what they were doing; Harry was just thankful that they were out of the room as he was in no mood for company.

Ducking into his tent, Harry pulled off his cloak and removed the spells he'd cast on himself before he hung up a 'do not disturb' sign on the outside of his tent (so the others would at least know he was there) and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening doing his physical training exercises. When he grew too tired to do another set of exercises, Harry took a hot shower and dropped into bed without bothering to set the alarm. He slept fitfully for the second night in a row; his dreams once more plagued by memories and nightmares.

After the third or fourth nightmare, Harry gave up on sleeping and spent a few hours playing around with his conjured butterflies; imbuing the magical constructs with Stinging Hexes and weak Boil Hexes that would 'bite' anyone they landed on. He next cast a specialized duplication spell that would cause the butterflies to duplicate themselves each time they were 'killed' before returning them to the jar. He grabbed a marker and wrote 'Caution: Rabid Butterflies; handle with care' on the outside of the jar next. Harry then discreetly placed the jar just outside of the tent, knowing that Killua and possibly Gon would be both curious and skeptical enough to open it and release the butterflies out into the room.

Prank set, the wizard quickly grabbed one of the long fleshy strings that Fred and George had given him for Christmas (something they called Extendable Ears), cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm on it, slipped one end out of the tent, inserted the other end in his ear, and kicked back with the book of prank spells that the twins had given him for his birthday (titled _One Hundred Spells to Make Your Friends Laugh and Enemies Cry_). He was just memorizing the incantation and wand movements for the Clumsy Shoe Jinx (make your friends randomly trip over thin air for up to six hours!) when the sound of Killua's tinny voice in his ear drew his attention away from his book.

"_Where did those come from?_"

"_I don't know; they weren't there when we went to sleep last night,_" Gon answered followed by the sound of glass sliding across the floor. "_I don't think I've ever seen butterflies that color before._"

Glass scraped against the floor again before Killua stated, "_Look, there's writing on the jar; what does it say?_"

"_Caution: Rabid Butterflies; handle with care…_"

"_Rabid butterflies? How stupid does he think we are? Butterflies can't get rabies!_" Killua exclaimed as the sound of sliding glass sounded once more followed by the sound of a lid being unscrewed.

"_You two are better off leaving James's things alone; you know he's not above pranking you intentionally,_" Kurapika interjected at that point.

"_Pfft, they're butterflies, Kurapika; what are they going to do? Tickle them to death by crawling all over them?_" Leorio countered negligently.

Harry snickered and wished he dared poke his head out of the tent to catch the look on their faces when the butterflies began 'biting' them. There was a quiet flurry of fluttering from dozens of soft wings, an excited exclamation, and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor before rolling away.

"_They look so pretty flying all over the place… and there's so many of them, I didn't think there were that many in the jar,_" Gon exclaimed as there was a sudden flurry of footsteps.

"_See; I told you they weren't rabid! Look, they really like me… ouch! What the hell!? Ow! Ouch! Why the hell are they biting me?_" Killua cried as the sound of slapping was heard.

"_What are you talking about? Butterflies don't have teeth; they can't bite you,_" Kurapika pointed out.

"_Like hell they can't! These things have teeth… and their bites frigging hurt!_" Killua yelled back.

"_Ow, ow, yeouch, damn it. Kurapika, Killua's right; the stupid little bugs have some mighty sharp and painful teeth on them!_" Leorio cried next.

"_Ouch, quick, put them back in the jar!_" Gon ordered in between yelps.

"_Why the hell is there so many of the little pests? Are they multiplying!?_" Kurapika demanded in a voice that was a cross between irritable and incredulous.

The end of the Extendable Ear fell out of Harry's ear as he began rolling around and laughing his ass off as complete chaos broke out in the other room at that point. He made a mental note to remind himself to pass the idea of 'rabid' butterflies off to the twins to sell in their joke shop in his letter to them. Better yet, he'd send them a jar of them without telling them what they were and see how much chaos they could cause with them and whether or not they'd get caught up in the prank as well.

Harry eventually regained control of himself a half an hour later and he reinserted the Extendable Ear into his ear and nearly lost it a second time when he learned the others were still fighting to get the butterflies back into the jar. Every few minutes, he'd break out into snickers over the crashes and curses that continued to filter through the eavesdropping aide he was wearing. In the end, it would take close to three hours for them to recapture the last of the butterflies and return the jar back to where it had been sitting when Killua first found it.

The wizard took a few minutes to calm down and straighten up his clothes to make it look like he'd only just gotten dressed before he popped his head out of the tent and asked, "Hey, have the lot of you seen a jar of… oh! Never mind, there they are!" He then looked up to find all four of the others glaring at him and it took all of his willpower not to start laughing again when he noticed the boils and welts covering almost every inch of exposed skin on them. "It's a good thing you guys didn't let these guys loose; they're a very rare species of butterfly and their venom is particularly nasty; especially if you are allergic to it."

Harry pulled back inside of the tent a second later and immediately burst into another laughing fit over the horrified looks that had formed on the others' faces the moment he'd mentioned venom.

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**10-16-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	15. Persistence x and x Penalties

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Fifteen: Persistence x and x Penalties

It took three and a half days for them to reach their final destination; a rather luxurious hotel that was owned by the Hunter Examination Committee. During that time, whenever Harry wasn't sleeping he was physically training, reading up on new spells, or pranking anyone that annoyed him. He also never left the dorm room where his tent had been set up; the wizard had no desire to have another run in with number forty-four, deal with any more prying questions from the chairman, or be cornered by the doctor that he feared was still seeking his blood.

The wizard would be the last of the applicants to leave the airship once they landed as he'd purposefully held himself back in an effort to avoid ending up anywhere near number forty-four. The first thing he did once he was on solid ground once more was to send Flip and Flop off to stretch their wings and hunt fresh food for the first time in days. He made certain to tell them not to go too far as he'd be sending one of them off with a letter soon; once the Final Phase was over and he knew whether or not he had passed the Exam (so he could make plans in regards to where he'd be going next).

When he finally followed the others inside, Harry intentionally procrastinated a second time as he carefully set one foot right in front of the other (heel touching toe in a straight line) while calling out completely random numbers. He wasn't quite certain what made him do it but the looks of annoyance or amusement on everyone's faces made it more than worth it; especially when it became clear that they had been waiting on him. He completely ignored all of the glares that were being directed his way as he continued 'counting' his way to the spot between Killua and Gon, knowing he was irking more than a few of the adults present.

Once he was in place, he stood at attention and gave Chairman Netero his complete attention as if he hadn't just been goofing off just seconds earlier. The old man chuckled softly and shook his head over Harry's antics and the wizard couldn't help the small smirk that slid across his face in response. If there was one thing that Harry had learned over the past seven months, it was that he loved to make people laugh almost as much as he loved to annoy bullies. The smirk vanished a moment later as Chairman Netero began addressing the ten applicants that had made it to the Final Phase.

"I would like to offer my congratulations to all ten of you on making it this far. This year's Final Phase will consist of a one-on-one tournament," Netero explained as he pulled the sheet from the presentation board that had been wheeled into place beside the man.

"So it is only possible for one person to pass?" Leorio asked with no little concern.

"No. All you need is one win to pass," Netero countered. "The winners of each match will be removed from the competition while the losers advance to the next stage until there is only one person remaining. In other words, the last man standing will be the one who does not pass this year's Exam. The rules of engagement for the battles are quite simple; weapons are allowed and the moment your opponent concedes defeat, you win. However, if you kill your opponent, you will be immediately disqualified and all of the remaining applicants will automatically pass. Are we clear?"

Several of the other applicants muttered under their breaths but Harry ignored them as he stared at the pyramid of lines drawn on the board as a thread of anticipation moved through him. He felt more than a little excited at the thought that he'd have a chance to pit himself against at least one of the others and truly test his skills. An eager shiver ran up his spine as Netero then pulled the tape from the bottom of the board to reveal the match ups for each fight. The ten of them had been split evenly into two groups with each group facing the other applicants in their group before the last man in each group would face each other to decide the final winner.

From left to right, the order went as follows; number two-ninety-four (Hanzo), three-fifty-six (Gon), fifty-three (Pokkle), ninety-nine (Killua), three-oh-one (Gittarackur), three-fifty-four (Leorio), one-ninety-one (Bodoro), forty-four (Hisoka), three-fifty-five (Kurapika), and ninety-seven (Harry). The outermost two on either end would face each other first with the loser facing the one immediately beside them as they moved towards the center; meaning that Leorio would be the last one on his side to face whoever lost the first three fights with Gittarackur in the same position in the other group. The order also meant that Harry would be facing Kurapika in either the first or second fight.

Harry shared a quick grin with Kurapika over their coming spar; the two of them both pleased that they'd have a chance to fight with one another again. They were also happy that their placement on the chart meant that the loser of their spar would still have a chance to earn their Hunter's License (meaning they could simply enjoy their fight until one of them was just too tired to continue). Harry then began scanning the room and was pleased to note that there were several chairs and a couple of tables that could be used for props (which would allow him to use some of his showier moves).

Just a few minutes after revealing the line-up, Netero announced the start of the Final Phase; the first match pitting Hanzo against Gon. Harry was practically skipping as he followed the other applicants off to one side so that the floor would be clear for the first fight; though his good mood didn't last long. The next two hours tested Harry's ability to control his temper as he watched Hanzo beat the crap out of Gon while the twelve year old stubbornly refused to quit despite the obvious pain he was in.

He'd suspected that Gon had the heart of a Gryffindor the day he'd first seen the kid board the Kaijinmaru but watching him now just reinforced that image as Gon's refusal to back down and quite starkly reminded Harry of each and every time he'd faced Voldemort or another situation where the cards had been heavily stacked against him. He also saw the Hufflepuff inside of Gon; the kid was hardworking, loyal to his friends, and firmly believed in fair play.

By the time the fight was over and Hanzo had quit in frustration, Harry's eyes were glittering with traces of gold as his magic thrummed in anger and concern just below the surface of his skin. Harry wasn't the only one that had been affected by the terribly one-sided fight, Kurapika's eyes had turned scarlet more than once (and boy had _that_ been a shock for the wizard to see) and Leorio had practically been breathing steam in his anger. The wizard's control on his temper would partially snap when Hanzo punched Gon after the fight was over because of something the kid had said; knocking the kid out completely and sending him flying across the room.

Harry's magic instantly reacted to Harry's emotions as he took a single step towards Gon's soaring body and in the blink of an eye, Harry's magic moved into the visible range as it flashed gold around him and transported him through time and space. One second he'd been preparing to run to Gon's side and the next Harry was in mid-air catching the twelve year old as his body arched through the air. The fifteen year old didn't have any time to worry about the magic he'd just done in front of the other applicants though; Gon's unconscious body had slammed into his stomach the moment he reappeared.

Wrapping his arms around the younger boy, Harry let his muscles relax in order to absorb the impact he knew was coming as Gon's momentum carried both of them through the air before dropping them down to slid backwards across the floor for several feet until Harry's back painfully slammed into the wall. Lifting the kid up into his arms so that he could carry him was a bit difficult (mostly because the pre-teen was almost as tall as he was on top of being heavier) but Harry managed as best he could as he cradled him against his chest and returned to the sidelines while Hanzo was making certain that Gon couldn't refuse his win when he woke up.

The moment he reached the others, Harry passed Gon to Leorio so he could dig out a roll of bandages, a jar of Bruise Balm, a sleeping bag, and a pillow from his pack-trunk before he spread out the sleeping bag and asked Leorio to place the boy onto it and help him set Gon's broken arm. Harry then left Leorio to apply the Bruise Balm to Gon's many bruises when he and Kurapika were called up to face off against one another next.

To the confusion of the others present, Harry removed his cloak and stripped off his boots and socks before he followed the blond towards the unused chairs and tables that had been shoved off to one side instead of immediately preparing to fight. Harry would have snickered at the lost looks on their faces as the two teens cluttered up the fighting area with several pieces of furniture if not for the fact that he was worried about Gon. Once the stage was set for their spar, Harry took the time to shoot a dirty look to the eighteen year old that had pummeled Gon.

"Same rules as usual, James?" Kurapika asked as he took the time to stretch a moment before he pulled out his twin bokken.

"Aye," Harry replied as he mimicked the blond's actions (making certain he hadn't done more than bruise himself when he'd hit the wall) before he unsheathed his practice sword. "No time limit and the first one unable to continue yields."

"No, the first one to take five would be fatal hits will have to yield," Kurapika countered with a shake of his head. "We need to make certain that whoever forfeits can still face his next opponent."

"I suppose that will be fine; you are getting rather old, Kura," Harry taunted as he mock saluted the blond with his sword.

"Need I remind you who won well over ninety-percent of our spars?"

"Pfft… that's only because you always cheat and use two swords while I'd only ever been taught how to face a single opponent with one blade prior to you crashing my training sessions with Jacob and Gunter. They put me through hell after that to make up for an obvious lack in my education; my bruises' bruises had bruises for weeks after that."

"If the two of you are ready, you may begin," Chairman Netero interjected before Kurapika could respond.

Both teens turned to bow to their audience and then turned to face one another as they bowed a second time before they burst into action. As Kurapika lunged towards Harry with both swords poised for an attack, the blond growled, "I cheated? If I remember correctly, you kept trying to tangle me up in the rigging and made me chase you all over that damned ship each time we sparred."

Harry vaulted out of reach of Kurapika's blades using the closest chair, "You're the one that agreed to there being no set boundaries for any of our spars; not my fault you have two left feet and all the grace of a drunken elephant."

Back and forth the two of them fought; all the while trading insults and taunts as they danced over, under, and around the furniture with Harry showing off some of his fancier stunts. After the first half hour, Harry scored the first 'fatal' strike as he rolled up into a one-handed hand stand and used his feet to block Kurapika's swords (his feet connecting solidly with the blond's wrists) while he tapped the blond on the heart with the tip of his blade. Kurapika scored his first hit when he slapped the flat of one blade against the back of Harry's neck just ten minutes later. By the end of the first hour, they were both three for three, sporting more than a few bruises, and had broken two of the chairs.

At the two hour mark, Harry finally scored his fourth hit when he used one of the chairs to trap Kurapika against a table and 'sliced' him open from groin to gullet. It was also about that time that it looked like the older teen was starting to flag; Kurapika had not really done much in the way of training since the middle of December (aside from the spar the two of them had had on the airship back before the third task). Harry, on the other hand, had at least made an effort to keep up with his other training and exercises during the course of the Exam any time he had free time on his hands.

When the two and a half hour mark rolled around, Kurapika actually yielded even though he had only taken four 'lethal' hits; the blond acting like he was feeling the strain. Harry graciously accepted and thanked the blond for a good workout before he cheekily teased Kurapika about getting old once more. Kurapika laughed in response and promised to soundly beat him the next time they sparred. It was at that point that Harry was reminded of their audience as Chairman Netero asked him to clean up his messes so that they could hold the next match.

That was also the moment that Harry realized that he'd just passed the Hunter's Exam and earned his license.

The wizard actually stumbled over his own feet in a rare bout of clumsiness as he spun around to face Kurapika in stunned disbelief over the fact that the blond had forfeited when he knew just how much passing the Exam meant to the other teen. He cleared away the furniture in a numb haze as he tried to decide how he felt about both passing the Exam and over the fact that Kurapika had backed down first. What he didn't realize was that Kurapika had intended to forfeit their match from the moment that the line-up had been revealed and had faked his growing exhaustion; the older teen had not wished to leave Harry to face Hisoka when the blond knew just how inexperienced Harry was when it came to fighting.

Harry didn't bother paying all that much attention to Hanzo and Pokkle's fight; the fifteen year old far more concerned with Gon's condition as the twelve year old still hadn't woken up and he was still shocked by his win. He also wished he could cast the Bone Mending Spell on the kid since he knew from experience just how much having a broken bone hurt when it was left to heal naturally. For the next hour and a half, Harry sat beside Gon and ran his fingers through Gon's hair (a silent offer of comfort – even if Gon wasn't aware enough to appreciate it) while his thoughts chased each other endlessly around in his head.

It wasn't until Pokkle yielded (giving Hanzo the next win) that Harry's attention was drawn back to his surroundings as Kurapika stepped up to face Hisoka. The fight was fast, furious, and short. They'd barely exchanged a small handful of blows before Kurapika took a kick to the face. It was that that point that Hisoka crossed the floor to whisper something to Kurapika.

The moment Hisoka gave up after delivering whatever message it was he gave the blond, Harry frowned in confusion as Kurapika stood frozen in the center of the room for several long minutes before he was prompted to return to the sidelines so that the next fight could begin. The wizard glanced between Hisoka and Kurapika a couple of times before he turned his attention to the next fight that was set to take place; Killua against Pokkle.

Harry wasn't certain whether or not he was surprised when Killua gave up without a fight the moment they were told to begin; the twelve year old declared that he had no interest in fighting Pokkle. Harry thought the kid was a fool but didn't say anything since he knew that Killua was not actually in the Exam to earn his Hunter's License; he'd just been looking for a challenge (and unfortunately didn't believe he'd found it). After that non-existent match, Hisoka was facing off against Bodoro and Harry watched both men with open curiosity since he'd never really seen that many people spar in hand to hand combat before.

The fight lasted until the older man conceded defeat to Hisoka after the redhead once again whispered something into his opponent's ear. Harry's brow furrowed over that; wondering what kind of game Hisoka was playing with the other applicants as he recalled his one encounter with the costumed man. The fifteen year old was also thankful that he'd not ended up facing the man. Harry's inner musings and prayers of thanks were soon shelved once more as Killua took to the floor for the second time; this time facing Gittarackur.

The Final Phase turned ugly at that point.

It turned out that Gittarackur was actually a disguised Illumi Zoldyck; Killua's older brother. The mind games that Illumi then proceeded to play with Killua pissed Harry off far more than anything Hanzo had done to Gon. To hear Killua's brother belittle Killua's desire to have friends and claim that the twelve year old was nothing but a killer pissed Harry off because it reminded him of the Dursley's telling him that he didn't deserve love or friends because he was a freak. It also reminded him of the taunts that Voldemort had thrown Harry's way each time the two of them had faced one another.

Illumi then promised to kill Gon to free Killua from his weakness and Harry's fury shot through the roof. Illumi took one step towards Gon and Harry surged to his feet and let out a low growling hiss that his magic magnified and the tall man paused in surprise; a brief flicker of fear appearing in the depths of his dark emotionless eyes the moment his gaze connected to Harry's before it vanished. Illumi then changed tactics as he pretended to suddenly remember that killing the other participants would disqualify him and turned away from the enraged and highly protective wizard to continue his mind games with Killua until Killua surrendered.

Harry felt a rock lodge itself in his stomach as he watched the normally rambunctious and cunning twelve year old robotically stagger back to the sidelines with dead eyes. There was something terribly familiar about the look in the pre-teen's eyes and Harry couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible was about to happen. Instead of watching Leorio's fight against Bodoro start, Harry continued to watch the silver haired kid standing just a few feet away from him; the sense of _wrongness_ he felt growing with each ragged breath Killua took.

Killua briefly appeared to struggle against himself before he took a single, halting step forward and in that moment Harry realized what was bothering him about Killua's behavior; Killua was displaying all the signs of someone who'd been placed under the Imperius Curse (just like Crouch Sr. had when he found the older wizard at the edge of the Forbidden Forest during the second half of his fourth year). Needing to stop the boy before he did something he would later regret; Harry darted forward at the same time as the younger boy stopped struggling against what he was being forced to do.

The wizard's magic flared gold once more as Harry slid through time and space for the second time in his desperation to place himself between Killua and Bodoro as the twelve year old attempted to kill the older man. Harry reappeared in the exact place and time he needed to be and his left hand shot out to grab Killua's wrist. He then used their momentum to spin the twelve year old around so that he was facing away from the old man he'd been about to attack as they dropped to the ground. A small shove sent the kid stumbling away from Harry and his target and gave the teen an opportunity to talk Killua through breaking out of the hold the Unforgivable had on his mind.

"Fight it, Killua; damn it, don't let him win! Fight it! You are stronger than this!" Harry urged as he gazed into Killua's empty blue eyes while preparing to block the kid's next attack. "Don't listen to him. Don't give up. He's wrong; they're all wrong. No one can force you to do anything against your will if you trust in yourself. Never give up."

Again there was a flash of gold as Harry moved to intercept the next attack and again Harry shoved the kid away as he continued to try and break through the spell clouding the kid's mind, "Push him out, Killua; you need to fight it. Don't let him win. You have friends that need you; Gon needs you because he's too trusting, Leorio needs you because he's too uptight, Kurapika needs you because he doesn't laugh enough, and I need you to inspire my imagination so I can create better pranks. Damn it, Killua; _Fight it!_"

Tears of pure frustration slid down Harry's face as nothing he said broke through the spell that had gripped the twelve year old. Knowing there was nothing he could do to talk the kid out of doing what he was being ordered to do, Harry placed himself between Killua and his target one last time accompanied by another flash of gold. This time, when Harry grabbed hold of the pale child, the wizard wrapped his left arm around Killua's chest and placed his right hand on the back of his head before casting a wordless and wandless Stunning Spell. The twelve year old immediately went limp in his arms as Harry landed heavily on the floor; magical exhaustion starting to creep over him after the short but intense fight.

Harry slowly straightened up with Killua's body hanging limply in his arms and several gasps were heard as it looked like Harry had killed the twelve year old instead of simply knocking him out. The gentle rise and fall of the boy's chest was testament enough that he still lived though and Harry tenderly swept the unconscious child into his arms. Several more gasps rang out when Harry finally looked up from his burden; more than one person shocked to find that Harry's irises had turned solid gold at some point and all but burned with power behind his lightly tinted glasses. Harry ignored the others as he carried Killua off to the side and gently settled him onto the sleeping bag beside Gon; the wizard completely unaware that his eyes had changed.

Once he'd made certain Killua was comfortable, Harry focused his attention on Illumi as rage replaced the grief and guilt he'd felt over being unable to snap Killua out of the spell; Harry blamed the kid's brother for his current condition since Killua hadn't changed until after he'd faced off against his brother. He took a single step towards the taller man before his progress was halted by a pair of arms wrapping around his chest and another pair of hands snagging hold of his left arm; Kurapika and Leorio had latched onto him the moment they realized what Harry intended to do. The fifteen year old attempted to free himself once before he gave up and settled on verbally addressing the source of his ire.

"I don't know what the hell you did to Killua but you damned well better pray that it isn't permanent," Harry rasped in a cold, hard voice that sent shivers up several spines. "My little stray adopted me the moment he came up to my campfire begging for food and I'll be damned if I'm going to allow anyone else to kick the little pup now that he's under my protection. If, when he wakes up, he's not back to his usual happy-go-lucky self; I will hunt you down and I will _hurt_ you for what you did to him. And if it comes to that, you'd better pray for Merlin, Maeve, and Mungo to have mercy upon your soul; because _I will not_."

A pin drop could have been heard in the tense silence that followed Harry's promised retribution; no one in the room dared to move least they draw the teen's ire and attention to themselves. Harry glared at Illumi for another full minute, to make certain that he got the message, before he turned away from the man and easily slipped free of Kurapika's and Leorio's suddenly loose hold so that he could retake his seat beside the two twelve year olds. Not one single person in the room even attempted to break the silence or make a move until Harry's eyes melted back to their usual emerald green as his magic retreated into his core and his rage dropped down to simmer just below the surface.

The wizard tuned out everyone around him as he gently brushed Killua's messy hair out of his face as he got lost in the memories of the various times he'd played around with the twelve year old over the past two weeks. And while Harry enjoyed sparring with Kurapika, hanging around with Gon, and mostly accepted Leorio's presence; it was Killua that had kept Harry from ditching the others after the Fourth Phase. Like Gon, the pale haired twelve year old reminded Harry of himself; specifically of his inner Ravenclaw and Slytherin sides (the kid was intelligent, snarky, and highly devious after all).

It was the Chairman's voice that dragged him back to the present and he was more than a little displeased at the man's pronouncement, "…the rules of the Final Phase; Killua Zoldyck has been disqualified for attempting to kill another applicant and the tournament is now officially over and…"

"That's a bloody crock of shit," Harry crassly bellowed as he snapped his head up to glare at the old man. "The rule was that you'd be disqualified for killing your opponent not just attempting to kill him! Otherwise Hanzo and Illumi would have been disqualified for threatening to kill Gon! Killua didn't kill anyone…"

"Death threats were not against the rules and neither Hanzo nor Illumi actively attempted to kill Gon despite their verbal threats," Chairman Netero countered as he frowned at Harry. "Killua, on the other hand, was actively trying to kill another participant while interfering in a match that he was not participating in; not just threatening to do so."

"I stopped him!" Harry snapped as he sprang to his feet.

"Yes, you did; that does not change the fact that Killua would have killed Bodoro if you had not interfered."

"Killua wasn't doing it of his own free will! It's not fair of you to punish him for something he had no control over!"

"Life is not fair… and whether or not he was in control of himself at the time is irrelevant; the fact of the matter is that he fully intended to kill Bodoro and attempted to carry out the deed multiple times. Your timely intervention, while noble, does not change the fact that Killua would have killed Bodoro if he had had the chance. And I will not change the rules now just to satisfy your personal sense of right and wrong."

Harry reeled back as if he'd been slapped by the Chairman's harsh words and pained shadows filled his eyes as he flatly demanded, "So, what you're saying is that it was pointless for me to step in because it changed nothing?"

"You saved a life; I would say that was far from pointless," Chairman Netero chided in a voice that was laced with more than a little disappointment.

Harry flinched at the tone and over the realization that he'd basically just called Bodoro's life worthless. Ashamed and still angry over the way things had turned out, Harry bowed his head, hunched his shoulders, and jammed his hands into his pockets as he tried to make himself invisible. He longed to flee the room and escape the burning shame and guilt that filled him but he stubbornly refused to give into the urge; the teen did not wish for the others to see him as childish in the wake his of public chastisement.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted; the Final Phase has officially ended and the remaining nine participants have all passed the two hundred eighty-seventh Hunter's Exam. Congratulations; the nine of you have successfully earned your Hunter's Licenses. We will be holding an orientation meeting in two day's time that you will be required to attend in order for you to learn what is expected of you now that you are Hunters. Individual rooms within the hotel have been assigned to each of you free of charge; you may collect your keys from Beans. If no one has any questions, then you are all dismissed."

Harry silently gathered his cloak, boots, and pack before he made his way back to Gon and Killua's side only to stumble to a stop when he saw Dr. Mackle directing a couple of nurses to transfer both twelve year olds onto stretchers so that they could be carried to the infirmary. The wizard watched the two of them being taken away with mixed feelings before he reluctantly gathered up the pillow and sleeping bag before he slipped out of the room without bothering to collect the key to his assigned room. He never saw the concerned glances that were being cast in his direction by a small handful of individuals; including Chairman Netero. He also didn't realize he'd picked up a shadow.

Once outside beneath the pale light of the quarter moon, Harry wandered around aimlessly until he stumbled into a park-like garden courtyard. Weariness settled over the fifteen year old and he dropped down to lean against the trunk of a tall acacia tree in order to pull on his socks and boots only to freeze when a dim shadow fell across him. He tensed up when the shadow didn't move on and Harry slowly raised his head to find the old man whose life he saved standing over him.

The wizard took a moment to study the man; taking in his long gray hair that was pulled up into a ponytail on top of his head, long bushy eyebrows, thick mustache, angular face, and dark eyes. He then took in the loose white gi that the man wore underneath a slate gray vest and an apron-like skirt or half robe that was split up both sides. Lastly, the man gave off an aura of confidence and power underneath his exhaustion that would have intimidated Harry just seven months earlier; if not for his experiences at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and his time on the Kaijinmaru.

"May I join you, young man?" Bodoro requested after Harry had finished his visual inspection. Harry tensed just the slightest and warily scanned the courtyard for a moment before he nodded in permission; there was no real reason to refuse the man's request. The man gave the wizard a small smile as he seated himself several feet away from the teen and murmured, "Thank you."

When the man made no other move to either get closer to Harry or strike up a conversation, Harry slowly relaxed as he returned his attention to his socks and boots. Once he had both boots on, he pulled on his dueling cloak before he settled back against the tree and let the near-empty solitude of the garden courtyard wash over him and sooth his inner turmoil. He'd almost completely forgotten that he wasn't alone and was just dozing off due to the exhaustion he was feeling from expending so much magic during his brief tussle with Killua (though Harry still had no idea what it was he'd done to use up so much of his magic or how he'd managed to keep up with Killua when the kid seemed to move faster than the eye could see) when Bodoro finally began speaking.

"I owe you my gratitude; I would be dead if not for your actions. I can't help but be curious as to why you stepped in to risk your life to save me."

"It was the right thing to do," Harry automatically replied, "but I'm ashamed to admit that my main concern was for Killua's mental state and not your life. I don't mean to imply that your life is unimportant… it's just that I know what it is like to be forced to do things that you'd usually not do and Killua is a friend. It would not have mattered who he was going to kill; I would have stopped him no matter what."

"I see. I suppose in the end, it doesn't matter why you chose to do what you did when the end result is the same; you saved my life even if it was only a by-product of your original intentions. Not many others would have taken the risk in the first place and for that, you still have my gratitude and my thanks. I wish to ask for an opportunity to pay you back for your selflessness."

"You really don't owe me anything," Harry replies earnestly. "I was only helping my friend…"

"I owe you a debt of honor for saving my life even if that wasn't your original intention," Bodoro interjected as he cut Harry off. "All I wish is for an opportunity to return the favor; so to speak."

"What exactly do you mean…?"

"I would like to repay you for saving my life; even if you did so inadvertently."

"Are you saying that you plan to tag along after me no matter where I go just waiting for the opportunity to pop up so you can save my life in return?"

"No," Bodoro chuckled in response to Harry's question. "I think we'd soon drive one another crazy if I even attempted to do so. No, what I had in mind was something different; I would like an opportunity to teach you how to further protect yourself in a fight so that you can save your own life should the need arise. I was intrigued by your rather unorthodox sword fighting style and wished to offer you some martial arts training to enable you to further refine and enhance your form."

"Oh," Harry replied at the unexpected offer. "Would you mind if I took a couple of days to think about it? I don't really know what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go now that the Exam is over."

"Take as much time as you need to think about it; I have no pressing business that needs my attention," Bodoro replied as he climbed to his feet and dusted the grass and leaves from his clothes. "Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to speak with you and thank you again for your selflessness. I am staying in room six-oh-five and you are welcome to seek me out if you have any questions about my offer or when you've come to a decision whether or not to accept my offer."

"You're welcome."

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**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	16. The x Trouble x with Family

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Sixteen: The x Trouble x with Family

Harry watched the older man walk away, his mind still trying to wrap itself around the fact that the man hadn't been angry with him over the his confession that he'd not actually sought to save the man's life. Bodoro's words and Chairman Netero's words weighed heavily on the wizard as he struggled to understand and accept everything that had happened the moment Killua stopped fighting the curse. Eventually, Harry gave up on making sense of things and set up his tent beneath the acacia tree before he spent the rest of the night finishing the letters he'd started writing back on Zevil Island.

Come morning, Harry was up with the rising sun due to his nightmares and outside of his tent whistling for Flip and Flop as he held the final letter he'd written; the other two had already been taken by Dobby just minutes earlier. The two eagles dropped down out of the sky several minutes later and Harry spent a moment lavishing attention on them before he asked Flop to take the letter in his hand to the Kaijinmaru. The eagle eagerly agreed and Harry watched the slightly larger bird disappear into the distance while Flip sulked a bit over not being chosen.

Harry cheered the smaller male up by hauling out his broom after casting a Notice-Me-Not Charm over the two of them before they took to the sky and played tag for the rest of the morning. When he landed for lunch, it hit him that he hadn't been to check up on Gon and Killua and he felt a heavy rock settle into his stomach as he realized just how easily he'd forgotten about the two boys. Grabbing two boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (all kids love sweets, after all), Harry wandered into the hotel and hunted down one of the staff members to wrangle out directions to the infirmary.

The grin, which is really more of a smirk, that Harry wore on his face when he strutted into the infirmary vanished in an instant when he learned that Killua woke up earlier that morning and disappeared without saying a word to anyone and that Gon still hadn't woken up. Harry set both boxes of candies onto the table beside Gon's bed before he hurried back outside to send Flip off to track down Killua; the rock in his stomach growing heavier as he feared for his little stray. The wizard then went brother hunting but Illumi was suspiciously absent and that only stoked Harry's still simmering temper.

The fifteen year old wizard probably would have torn the hotel apart in an attempt to flush the cowardly bastard out but he was waylaid at that point by Kurapika and Leorio. Harry would spend the rest of the afternoon sparring with both of the older teens (Harry had only just learned that Leorio was only nineteen and not in his late twenties like he'd originally thought). Facing Leorio's knives was a new experience for Harry, though he wasn't unfamiliar with knife fighting; he'd just never sparred against a knife fighter before. The taller teen had kept his blades sheathed during the spar; otherwise Harry would have ended up being stuck with the blades a dozen times over.

Once the sun set, the two teens dragged Harry into the hotel for supper before they all but bullied him into spending the night inside of his assigned room instead of camping out in the courtyard for a second time. Somehow, Kurapika and Leorio ended up crashing in Harry's bedroom after the three of them haltingly discussed everything that had happened during the Final Phase.

Harry had even sought their opinions on Bodoro's offer as well; figuring that they might have some information on the older man that Harry didn't have. It was an informative conversation and by the time it was over, Harry had tentatively decided to accept Bodoro's offer of training; first he wanted to know a little more of what said training would entail.

Their orientation meeting was set to start at nine o'clock the next morning and Harry met with Bodoro just outside of the lecture hall to make arrangements to meet with the man over lunch to discuss his offer. The older man looked immensely pleased over the fact that Harry wasn't turning him down flat and was honestly interested in the training the man had been offering; instead of just humoring him or blowing him off. Once he'd taken care of that, Harry headed inside to take his seat only to be blindsided by his first glimpse of Illumi since the end of the Final Phase and the wizard let out an angry hiss.

He probably would have confronted the taller teen right then and there if not for Kurapika hustling him into a seat and talking him down from his rage. Harry sat back and fumed but didn't make any attempts to slip around the forceful blond; though that didn't stop him from glaring daggers at the back of Illumi's head. The wizard's attention was slowly drawn to Beans as the little green man (was he even human?) began handing each of them a leather-bound portfolio that held their official Hunter's Licenses and their Hunter's Association Cards. Harry stared at the expensive black leather folder with the Hunter Association's Logo embossed on the front in his hands for a full minute before he gingerly opened it up to look upon his Hunter's License for the first time.

The moment he saw the name emblazoned on both the card and the certificate, the blood drained from Harry's face and he slammed the portfolio shut before anyone could see what he'd seen. His breath hitched as the panic that had taken hold of him the instant Chairman Netero made it known he knew that Harry was a wizard came back three-fold. Little tremors began snaking through his muscles and he began having more than a little trouble catching his breath as he desperately racked his brain in an effort to recall whether or not he'd ever mentioned his real name to Chairman Netero during his interview.

He'd just about fallen into a full blown anxiety attack when his gaze was caught by Chairman Netero's and the man pantomimed flipping his portfolio over and rotating it a hundred and eighty degrees before opening it up again.

Harry hesitantly did as he was silently told (noting that the Association Logo had suddenly appeared on what had originally been the back side of the portfolio after he rotated the portfolio as directed) and when he opened the leather binder this time, he found a completely different certificate and card; these ones emblazoned with the name James Evans. Harry sagged bonelessly into his chair as he let out a shaky breath of relief before he tensed back up and jerked his eyes back to the front of the room only to find that Netero was no longer paying any attention to him.

A second glance down that portfolio in his hands revealed an envelope that Harry hadn't noticed the first or rather the second time he'd opened the folder. Scrawled across the front of the envelope was his alias's first name and he stared at it for a full minute before his attention was pulled away by Kurapika asking, "Is there something wrong, James?"

"No; I was just blindsided for a moment," Harry replied in a voice that shook the slightest bit with suppressed emotions as he tucked the envelope into his cloak pocket so he could read the letter later.

Kurapika nodded and let the matter drop as Beans began talking; explaining the purpose of the cards (which were a cross between an identification card, a credit or debit card (linked to a newly established account in their name with the Hunter Association's Credit Union), a Hunter's Association membership card, and their official Hunter's License all rolled into one. They were advised to never lose or damage their cards as they wouldn't be issued another to replace it; meaning if you lost your card it was gone for good. The certificate, on the other hand, was just for their own personal records to commemorate their induction into the Hunter's Association.

Harry soon got caught up in the lecture enough to forget his near panic over seeing the card and certificate with his birth name on it and his anger at Illumi over what had happened to Killua.

The meeting would be disrupted an hour and a half later by a highly pissed off twelve year old in a cast. Harry sat back and watched Gon tear Illumi a new one with a satisfied and smug smirk on his face. He would have preferred being the one to lay into the man but there was no doubt that he was thoroughly enjoyed watching the man get his ass handed to him by a kid that was at least half his age. Chairman Netero interrupted the confrontation and told Gon the same thing that the man had basically told Harry immediately following Killua's attack; that he would not bend or break the rules for anyone and the matter was closed. Gon was unhappy over the entire thing but he grudgingly released Illumi.

Gon slipped into the seat next to Kurapika at that point and Beans picked up where he'd left off as if there hadn't been an interruption. Harry leaned forward a bit to study the younger boy, looking to make certain that the kid was alright, before he sat back and returned his attention to the front of the room. Every few minutes though, his eyes shift over to linger on Illumi; or more specifically on Illumi's obviously broken arm. Part of him couldn't believe that Gon had broken the older man's arm with one hand while another part of him was rather impressed with Gon's physical strength and the rest of him wondered what it would be like to spar against the kid.

The moment their meeting was adjourned shortly before lunch, Harry shot up out of his seat and headed straight for Illumi only to find himself snagged by the ear and dragged out of the room in the opposite direction of his target by Kurapika. Harry cussed and cursed up a blue streak as he was dragged through the hotel and out into the courtyard while Leorio and Gon both followed along with matching bemused looks on their faces. The moment he was released, Harry rounded on the blond (intending to verbally tear into him) only for the blond to beat him to the punch.

"James, just shut up and listen. We all get that you're upset about what happened to Killua; we all are. But you need to stop and think before you go barreling in and do more harm than good. Despite the fact that he is a jackass of epic proportions, Illumi is Killua's brother and you need to discuss the situation with Killua before you obliterate his brother off the face of the earth; least you lose Killua's friendship and respect for harming his family."

Harry snapped his mouth shut as Kurapika's logic cut through his anger; he hadn't actually considered how Killua would react if he blasted Illumi into teeny tiny little bits before he vanished the remains. He closed his eyes, dropped his chin, and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he realized that it was getting harder and harder to control his emotions lately; that was especially true when it came to moderating his temper. He knew part of it had to do with his nightmares and the memories that had been plaguing him lately but he also knew that there was more to it than that. He just didn't have an answer at the moment.

"Now; do you think you can manage to control yourself or do I need wipe the floor with you for a couple of hours to get through that thick skull of yours?" Kurapika dryly asked after several minutes had passed.

"I'm fine," Harry replied quietly.

"Good, because I'm still sore from our last spar and would have been cranky if you'd made me teach you a proper lesson in anger management right now. Now that that is settled; why don't we go grab some food and discuss our plans to liberate our favorite little assassin over lunch?"

"I'm meeting Bodoro for lunch so that I can sit down and discuss his offer with him."

"We can do both; that is, if you don't mind us tagging along and listening into your discussion," Leorio interjected as he shifted his briefcase between his hands.

"I guess that would be fine; so long as Bodoro is okay with the lot of you being there as well."

It turned out that Bodoro didn't mind the extra company present for their discussion; he'd actually expected at least one of Harry's near constant companions to be present since he assumed that Harry would end up traveling with one or more of them now that the exam was over. After a short question and answer session about what kind of training Bodoro was offering, Harry accepted the man's offer. The discussion then moved onto their plans to collect Killua with Bodoro surprisingly sticking around to add a few suggestions and provide more information on the Zoldyck Family than what they'd heard from Killua himself (including where they lived).

It didn't take long for them to solidify their plans for dealing with Killua's situation and book a flight to the Dentora Region of the Republic of Padokia where Kukuroo Mountain (home to the Zoldyck Family) was located. Once that had been done, Bodoro brought the topic back around to Harry's training; bringing up Heaven's Arena (which was located on the same continent as the Republic of Padokia). His reason for bringing up the popular battle tower was that it was an excellent place for Harry to get the experience he would need in order to improve his fighting form. Gon was also very interested in Heaven's Arena and the potential it offered for growing stronger.

Tentative plans were made for Harry (and Gon) to meet Bodoro at the Heaven's Arena in a week's time (to allow enough time for Killua's situation to be dealt with). If it looked like it would take longer to check on Killua, then Harry could send word to Bodoro with Flip (since the eagle was most likely with Killua by now or very close to him). On the other hand, if they finished up early, Harry could spend an extra couple of days watching the other competitors battling so that he could get a better of idea what to expect once he registered at the Arena.

The group split up to go their separate ways at that point; Gon to wander around the courtyard, Kurapika to get in some research before they left, Leorio to find a place to relax for the rest of the afternoon, Bodoro to pack his things and head home until it was time to meet with Harry, and Harry to retreat to his room so he could read the letter that had been tucked into his portfolio.

Once in his room, Harry locked his door physically and magically to prevent any interruptions before he sat down on the bed and pulled out both his leather-bound Hunter's portfolio and the letter. He took a moment to study the portfolio itself, alternately opening up both sections until he froze when he realized that the leather binder functioned much like his pack-trunk did. The moment he made that connection, Harry pulled out his wand and cast a couple of diagnostic spells on the unassuming portfolio and soon confirmed that; yes, the portfolio was magical in nature.

That knowledge made Harry wonder whether or not all of the portfolios were magical in nature or if it was just his and whether it was just coincidence that his portfolio was magical or if it had been planned that way. The memory of Chairman Netero miming instructions on using the portfolio in front of the other newly invested Hunters led Harry to the conclusion that it was just his binder that was magical and that it had been purchased or provided specifically for him. That theory only reminded him again of the fact that Chairman Netero knew _exactly_ who he was despite the fact that he'd never once mentioned his birth name during hours he'd spent pouring out his life's story to the man.

After spending close to an hour with his thoughts endless chasing themselves round and round until he gave himself a headache, Harry finally turned his attention to the letter that had been inside of his portfolio. He flipped the envelope over several times before he slid his finger beneath the flap and ripped it open to find a thicker than expected letter, an old photograph, and an old, worn out Hunter's card. Confused, Harry ignored the photo and card for a moment as he unfolded the letter and began reading.

_James,_

_I am certain that you were less than satisfied with my answer when you asked me what  
your great-grandfather and grandfather were like but at the time you were not a Hunter  
and most of the information regarding Hunters is considered classified; meaning that  
few Hunters will share information about another Hunter with anyone other than a  
Hunter. And while Samuel might not have been a Hunter, per say, he was under the  
protection of the Hunter's Association right up until he vanished shortly after marrying  
your grandmother._

_I'm certain that you, of all people, can appreciate the need for secrecy when it comes to  
confidential information._

_That said, I am not a heartless old man and I can understand your desire to learn more  
about your family. Consider the photograph of your great-grandfather holding your  
grandfather and his old card and portfolio a congratulatory gift from me to you for a job  
well done. Your great-grandfather added a few magical enhancements to his former  
portfolio in order to improve it and to protect what it held inside; one of which was  
creating two separate license compartments._

_When you finally do view the current contents of the second compartment, please do not  
panic. After listening to your tale the other day, it was not difficult to uncover those bits  
and pieces of your story that you left unspoken. If you are wondering why I had a second  
license created for you with your birth name, it was because there may come a day when  
you will need the protection that that card will provide you should you ever choose to  
rejoin the wizarding society._

_That said, you have no need to fear that I will turn you over to those who wish you harm;  
you are one of my Hunters now and we will protect and take care of our own (providing,  
that is, if our Hunters allow us to do so). Some Hunters are too proud to ask for help._

_Speaking of pride, I know that you are still angry with me over Killua's fate. I know to  
you it seems unfair for him to be punished for something that was seemingly outside of  
his control but if you know anything at all about his family, then you will know that killing  
**is**__ in his nature because of how he was raised. Right now he is young and he is attempting  
to rebel against the rules by which his family lives but at the same time he is not afraid to  
use what he has learned to take the lives of others. _

_There is also the fact that he was not ready to be a Hunter; he was not committed to  
earning his license at this time. And while the same could be said about you, you at least  
had some idea about what you would do should you earn your license; meaning that you  
gave some thought to what lay beyond the Hunter's Exam instead of just focusing on the  
thrill of the Exam itself. Should the young man truly wish to earn his license, he has but to  
enter the Exam next year and he will have the opportunity to do so; just like all of the  
other surviving applicants that did not pass this year's Exam._

_I believe that I have given you enough food for thought at the moment. If you have any  
questions, I will do my best to answer those that I can or direct you to those who will  
have the answers you seek. And, if time permits, I would be more than happy to share a  
few stories with you about your grandfathers from when they were about your age._

_Chairman Isaac Netero_

Harry let the letter fall from his fingers as he tried to digest everything that he'd just learned. His eyes then cut sideways towards the portfolio he'd been given and he felt a wave of warmth wash through him over the knowledge that it had been his great-grandfather that had enchanted the leather binder. He then recalled the photo and card that had come with the letter and he swallowed thickly as he reached down to grab the photo so he could see what his great-grandfather and grandfather had looked like.

His eyes immediately focused on the older man in the photograph and Harry sucked in a sharp breath as he immediately noticed the man's vibrant green eyes that looked so much like his and his mother's eyes. Next he noted the man had dark red hair (the same color red as his mother's hair) that he wore short in a military cut and a thick mustache and goatee that were equally red. Perched on his nose was a pair of armless glasses with rectangular lenses set in a brass frame. In the picture, his great-grandfather was wearing what Harry recognized as a dark bronze duelist's cloak because it had a similar cut to the dragon-hide cloak that Bill had given Harry for his fifteenth birthday.

After a couple of minutes, Harry reluctantly pulled his eyes away from his great-grandfather in order to study the child in the picture. The child looked to be no more than three or four years old and like the older man, the boy had vivid emerald eyes and dark red hair that stuck up nearly as badly as Harry's had back before he'd grown his hair out. The child was wearing a huge grin as he stood up on a chair and hovered over a large birthday cake with three burning candles on it and perched on his grandfather's head, was a bright green and blue pointed birthday hat.

His great-grandfather's arm was curled around his grandfather's waist in order to keep him from falling off of the chair that he was standing on as both man and boy looked out at the camera. Harry felt his chest tighten as he took in the satisfied half-smile his great-grandfather wore; it was a smile Harry sometimes saw in the mirror. Flipping the photo over, Harry read the small neat inscription that had been written on the back.

_Greg and little Samuel  
Sammy's 3__rd__ birthday  
April 23, 1943_

Several tears trickled down his face as he realized that his great-grandfather must have died sometime after that photo had been taken as he clearly recalled Netero telling him that the man had died in nineteen-forty-three; meaning that his grandfather had lost his father when he'd still been very young (just like Harry had lost his father when he'd still been a baby). Still holding the photo in one hand, Harry reached into his mokeskin pouch and pulled out his photo album so that he could reverently place the old photograph on the first page beside the one of his parents holding him where it both held a place of honor and would be safe from damage.

The fifteen year old then turned his attention to his great-grandfather's Hunter's License that had been inside of the letter. He let out a soft laugh when he saw that the name on the license was 'Firebrand' as it implied that his great-grandfather had had quite the temper. Something he knew that he and his mother both shared with the man thanks to the precious few stories Sirius and Remus had shared about his mother in their letters over the past five months. Harry's breath hitched a moment later when it finally hit him that his great-grandfather had been a Hunter; just like him.

There was something powerful in knowing that he'd followed in the footsteps of a man who would have played a big part in his life had he lived.

He slipped the license into his photo album beside the picture of his great-grandfather and grandfather before he tucked the album back into his mokeskin pouch where it would be safe. A hundred different questions crowded into Harry's mind at that point and he sat frozen on the end of the bed as he tried to still his swirling thoughts.

After a few minutes, he jumped up and headed towards the door; he intended to hunt down Chairman Netero to ask him the questions that man had all but promised to answer. He'd just unlocked the door and set his hand on the handle to open it when someone knocked on the other side. Startled, Harry froze for a split second before he snorted at his own behavior and opened the door. He froze again when he saw who was standing on the other side.

"Rumor has it that you and your friends will be leaving tomorrow and I wished to speak with you at least once before you left so that I could answer any pressing questions you might have," Chairman Netero stated as he folded his hands behind his back and offered Harry a warm smile. "May I come in?"

Harry bit his lip for a moment in indecision as he recalled the man's harsh words from the other day. He then recalled the letter he'd read just moments earlier and the priceless gift he'd been given in the form of the photograph and card. He also couldn't quite forget the questions that had been clamoring for attention just seconds earlier either and after a slight hesitation, Harry opened the door and stepped back out of the way to invite the man inside; he had planned to hunt down the man anyway.

A privacy ward (requested by Chairman Netero) would insure that their conversation was not overheard and the two of them would sit and talk until well after midnight. The man spent at least an hour debriefing Harry on what his status as a Hunter would mean for him in the wizarding world and what protection that status would offer him should he return to the wizarding world. Another hour was spent answering several of Chairman Netero's questions about his past (including his true age).

The elderly Hunter then spent another two hours answering as many of Harry's questions as he could (some of the answers he sought were either classified information or information that was only known to a handful of other individuals). The rest of the time, Harry spent listening to Chairman Netero as the man regaled him with tales about his great-grandfather and grandfather. After Chairman Netero left, Harry spent the remaining hours until dawn lost in thought, unable to sleep.

Harry was startled out of his thoughts by a loud banging on his door before said door burst open to reveal a determined and excited Gon with a slightly amused Kurapika and Leorio hovering just beyond him. The wizard blinked at the three of them in confusion before he yelped in realization that not only did he not get any sleep last night, he'd also not packed up his things that were spread about the room. The fifteen year old cursed under his breath as he bolted about the room gathering all of his things and shoving them into the top compartment of his pack-trunk; for once not worried about putting everything away properly or neatly.

It took him fifteen minutes and a couple of discreet Summoning Charms to collect everything while the others watched him scramble around with undisguised amusement; the three of them unused to seeing the green eyed teen so flustered and disorganized. The four of them piled into a taxi ten minutes later and headed towards the nearby airstrip where their flight was scheduled to depart in two hour's time. Because he was the smallest of the four of them (Gon was bulkier and heavier than the wizard even if he wasn't yet taller), Harry ended up sitting on Leorio's lap so they could all fit in the taxi rather than call a second one.

Feeling extra mischievous (because he was overtired due to sleeping poorly since he'd faced the snake charmer on top of staying up all night and because he'd been so moody and tense since the second task), Harry spent the entire ride to the airport flirting and teasing the hell out of Leorio. He even got a few good jabs in at Kurapika whenever the blond made an attempt to rein him in. Gon didn't stop laughing the entire time and Harry even heard a few chuckles coming from the driver up front. The nineteen year old got Harry back by dumping him out of the car the moment they arrived at the airport. Harry pouted at him for a full minute before he began snickering.

His playful and happy mood lasted until they reached the airship that they would be flying in. Once he was seated, he unconsciously withdrew into himself as he stared out the window as his thoughts endlessly bounced between what he'd learned during the night from Chairman Netero and his worry for Killua. He never noticed the worried glances that his companions tossed his way nor did he pay any attention to their conversation regarding Hisoka and the Phantom Troupe. The wizard barely slept during the three days and two nights of their flight; his mind restless and his dreams (when he did manage to fall asleep) still plagued by nightmares.

He didn't start paying attention to his surroundings again until they landed in the Republic of Padokia and he remained rather subdued for the duration of the nighttime train ride to the Dentora Region. The closer they got to the Zoldycks home, the tenser and more agitated Harry became as he was continuously assaulted by the memory of the blank look in Killua's eyes after his match with his brother. Once they reached the Dentora Region the next morning, the group made a short stop at a local café for breakfast and Harry moodily shredded the dry toast he'd ordered instead of eating it; his stomach too tied up in knots and his head filled with too many dark thoughts for him to eat.

After the tense meal, Kurapika located a local tour agency that offered bus tours of the Kukuroo Mountain and quickly booked them passage on the next bus out. Harry made one attempt to ditch the others at that point (the wizard intending to fly straight to the mountain), only for him to be caught by Kurapika and dragged onto the bus by the ear. The blond had apparently taken it upon himself to babysit the wizard to insure that he didn't do anything stupid and Harry spent the entire bus trip sulking and stewing in the seat beside the older teen.

Leorio found it amusing right up until Harry flashed him a heated emerald glare that glittered with thousands of golden dust motes. Kurapika slapped Harry upside the back of the head to make him knock it off and Harry transferred his glare to the blond seated beside him but the seventeen year didn't even flinch. Harry let out a huff of irritation over his failure to cow the older boy and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared unseeingly out the window for the rest of the ride.

The sun had begun sinking towards the horizon by the time they arrived at the entrance to the Zoldyck Property. The quartet of newly inducted Hunters waited for all of the tourists to step off the bus before they followed and got their first look at the gate that marked the entrance to the pretentious estate. Harry let out a snort of amused disgust as he silently compared the Zoldyck family to the Malfoy family with the Zoldycks actually coming off as being the worst when it came to flaunting their wealth. The family of assassins owned an entire volcano and the majority of the land surrounding it after all and a magical mansion purportedly filled with a yard full of albino peacocks just couldn't compare to that.

While the other three listened to the tour guide's spiel about the family and the imposing Gate of Hades that marked the entrance to the property, Harry simply stood in the middle of the road and stared up at the gate leading into the Zoldyck estate; impatience bubbling up inside of him now that he was so close to finding his stray pup.

* * *

**Notes:**

Killua and Harry's relationship – okay, some of you might be seeing romance between these two due to how protective Harry is behaving towards Killua but that isn't what is happening here. Harry sees a lot of himself in Killua after getting to know the kid during the few short times they've interacted during the Hunter's Exam. He sees him more as a friend or potentially a little brother and not as a love interest. The reason he reacted so strongly to what happened between Killua and Illumi is because he absolutely hates to see anyone being manipulated (like he'd been manipulated) and he wants to protect what little innocence remains in the twelve year old assassin.

The reason that Harry calls Killua his stray pup is entirely because of the fact that Killua came up to beg food from him at the end of the First Phase (much like a stray dog or cat). He also knows that it irks the twelve year old to be called a puppy which is half the reason he does it. So no, this will not be a Killua/Harry pairing nor will it be a Gon/Harry pairing. Of course, if you'd paid attention to the summary you'd already know that. =)

I will have Harry flirt with both genders on occasion, even after he hooks up with the planned love interest I have for him (something I originally hadn't planned to do but the pairing was just too perfect to pass up and she was particularly loud when she learned I wasn't going to let her get her man; so to save myself from the mental violence she would have resorted to had I written her out, I let the story flow and added her in). And yes, my Harry is straight; he's just messing with people's heads when he flirts with the boys because it amuses him to make others squirm and blush (the result of his training with Jacob and Gunter for six months and from being friends with the Weasley twins for over four years).

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**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	17. A x Wizard's x Ire

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Seventeen: A x Wizard's x Ire

Harry's attention was pulled away from the huge gate that led into the Zoldyck Estate by a commotion over at the guardhouse. He turned his head in time to see a pair of thugs assaulting the elderly guard on duty in order to steal the key to the small door that stood beside the guardhouse. The wizard tilted his head in confusion when the guard handed over the key with only a token protest. A frown creased his brow over the fact that the guard didn't seem overly worried about the fact that two thugs had just broken into the Zoldyck Estate; he didn't even bother contacting the main house with the phone that Harry could see through the open office door.

Understanding came just five minutes later when twin screams rang out from just on the other side of the door. Harry was more than a little disturbed by the large paw-like hand that dumped two skeletons wearing the same clothes that the thugs had been wearing outside of the gate just a few minutes after that; something that caused mass hysteria in the other tourists. The guard then scolded a creature named Mike; a creature that the man referred to as the Zoldyck's watchdog in the same breath. As Harry continued to stare at the small door, he couldn't get an image of a huge three-headed dog out of his mind after hearing the creature referred to as a watchdog.

Fluffy (Hagrid's cerberus class hellhound) had been a frightening beast to face when he had been protecting the Philosopher's Stone in his first year but he'd also been easily tamed with music. There were other classes of hellhounds out there that were far more frightening than a large, three-headed dog though and Harry knew that some of them were very hard to tame or control; even with magic. Based upon the size of the paw that had shoved out the remains of the two thugs, the hound on the other side of the wall was even larger than Fluffy; which meant it would be a bit more trouble than the three-headed hound had been.

Harry ignored the tour guide's attempt to get him back onto the bus so they could leave as he pulled off his pack and opened up the potion compartment. He rummaged through the shelves until he found the potion he was looking for and he silently counted up the number of vials he had on hand in addition to the number of antidotes he had available. He then pulled out six of the vials and pocketed them before he switched compartments and removed a long section of twine from his writing compartment. Once he had everything he thought he needed, Harry closed the trunk and returned it to his back before he pulled out the six vials he'd taken out and loosely tired them into two bundles of three that were then returned to his pockets.

The wizard then contemplated on whether he should try going through the side door or if he should just fly over the wall. He was about to settle on flying when his attention was drawn to Leorio making an attempt to open the main gates that Harry had been staring at just a few minutes earlier. Moving closer, Harry listened to the guard's explanation about the gates; the man called the seven gigantic doors the Testing Gate and revealed that the first gate weighed four tons (each door weighing two tons) with the weight of each consecutive gate doubling. He was just contemplating the possibility of lightening the gates using the Featherweight Charm when Gon demanded that the guard hand over the door key.

Gon's determination and stubbornness once again reminded Harry of himself and the wizard snorted softly as he shook his head over the kid's antics; completely ignoring the fact that he'd just been making his own plans to break into the estate. Harry also didn't hesitate to notice that Kurapika was once again hovering close to him and he suspected that the blond knew he was plotting as well. Harry gave the seventeen year old an innocent smile that only earned him a glare and a suspicious look in return and Harry nearly snickered in response – the blond apparently knew him rather well.

"Wait here," the guard suddenly ordered as he strode back over to the guardhouse. All four boys ignored the order to stay put; choosing instead of follow the man and eavesdrop on the one-sided phone conversation he held with whoever was on the other end of the line. "Hello? This is Zebro from the front gate. Master Killua's four friends have come to visit him. Yes. Yes. No. I see. I'm sorry. Yes. Yes, I understand. I'm sorry for disturbing you." The man hung up the phone at that point and muttered, "Just as I thought; I got in trouble for that."

"Did you call the mansion?" Gon asked as he, Leorio, and Kurapika slipped into the office.

"No, I was speaking to the head butler; it is his job to screen all incoming calls before they can be patched through to the main mansion," Zebro explained as he gestured to the phone. "It is one of the many security policies that have been put in place to protect the family."

"Will you call him back and let me speak with him, please?" Gon demanded as he glared at the phone.

"I suppose but I can guarantee that it will be an unpleasant experience for you."

Gon accepted the phone as the elderly guard dialed the number and Harry could hear a faint ringing before it was picked up on the other end and a faint voice could be heard speaking. Gon then stated, "This is Gon, I'm Killua's friend. May I please speak to Killua?" The voice on the other end was heard again before there was a click and the dial tone; indicating that the man had just hung up on Gon.

"What did he say?" Kurapika inquired as Gon stared at the phone in anger for a minute.

Gon didn't answer as he instead redialed the number and waited for the man on the other end to pick up again. Once he did pick up, Gon yelled, "How could you possibly know that!? Put Killua on the phone now!"

The head butler then spoke for several long minutes with Gon interjecting a sentence or word here and there until the man finally hung up on the twelve year old a second time. Gon was fuming by that time and he slammed the phone down in the cradle before turning to leave the office. Harry stopped him by stepping in front of the angry boy.

"My turn," Harry grimly stated as he pushed the younger boy towards Kurapika. "Keep a leash on him for a moment while I see if I can talk some sense into the head butler." Harry then turned to Zebro and requested. "Will you dial the number for me, please?"

The man only sighed in resignation before he nodded and stepped forward to dial the butler's office a third time before he handed the phone off to Harry. The wizard murmured a polite thank you before he focused all of his attention onto the ringing in his ear as he waited for the head butler to pick up.

"_This is the butler's office_," an emotionless voice stated the moment the line was picked up.

"What do I have to do to get you to put Killua on the phone so that Gon or myself may speak with him?"

"_As I already explained to Gon, it is my duty to protect the family from their enemies and there is nothing you can do; you and the other child with you need to leave._"

"I understand," Harry replied in an almost conversational tone before his voice turned cold enough to freeze an ocean while his eyes turned gold as his temper broke loose of the tenuous control he'd had it under since Killua's match against his brother. "I hope that you will understand in turn when I say that you just pissed off the wrong person. I will not leave until I speak to Killua; my little stray left without saying goodbye and without giving me a chance to make certain that he was alright and I will not hesitate to cut down anyone that stands between me and my goal. Are you certain that you will not reconsider?"

"_There is nothing to reconsider; threatening me only confirms the fact that you are a danger to the Zoldyck Family and therefore I am correct in denying you contact with any member of the family._"

"Then you leave me no choice but to do things the hard way."

Harry hung up the phone without waiting to hear the man's reply before he stalked out of the little office and headed for the main gate. Harry stopped three feet away from the gate, dropped his chin onto his chest, closed his eyes, and spread his feet shoulder length apart as he drew his wand from his left bracer and released the hold on his magic. A strong wind whipped around the wizard as his magic eagerly rushed forward to suddenly surround him in a swirl of gold mist. After concentrating for a full minute, Harry snapped his head up, opened his eyes, and cast the strongest Banishing Charm he could muster.

All seven gates burst open with a loud crash, several of the doors and the wall cracking and chipping under the brute force of Harry's seriously overpowered spell. The wizard then marched forward through the damaged gates while leaving his audience of four gaping in astonishment; none of them had expected to witness such a display. His loud entrance had, of course, attracted the attention of the Zoldyck's watchdog and the enormous beast bounded up to investigate the disturbance. A loud growl was the only warning Harry had before the creature made to attack him.

Harry stared at the ferocious animal as it bore down on him while he calmly reached into his pocket to grab one of the potion bombs he'd cobbled together. Harry then fired an overpowered Stinging Hex at the giant dog's nose, causing it to let out a sharp yelp as it skidded to a halt in shock over the unexpected pain. Harry then froze the creature in place with a Full-Body-Bind Curse before he chucked his potion bomb into the air above the animal. A blasting curse shattered the glass vials as soon as the bomb was in the air over the creature and the potion inside rained down on the watchdog.

The creature let out a muffled howl that soon turned into a muffled whine as it shrunk down from the size of a two story house to the size of a chihuahua in the blink of an eye thanks to the Shrinking Solution Harry had coated him in. Harry continued on his way without looking back while his three companions and the guard followed along in his wake; Zebro collecting the miniaturized and petrified watchdog to prevent it from being harmed while he used his cell phone to call in a report on the current situation. The wizard ignored his shadows and stalked along the footpath leading deeper into the estate until he came to the first bend in the trail.

A scowl marred his brow as he glanced at the footpath before lifting his eyes to the mountain where the family mansion was supposedly located. He was in no mood to endlessly traipse back and forth along a path that would potentially take him out of his way. It was at that point that the wizard recalled that he'd sent Flip to track Killua and he lifted his left hand to his mouth and let out a piercing whistle that cut through the twilight and startled a nearby flock of crows. Harry began pacing back and forth while he waited for Flip to answer his summons.

After five minutes without any sign of the eagle, Harry brought his wand up to tap his throat as he cast a silent Sonorus Charm on himself. He then whistled a second time; the spell and his magic both amplifying the sound and carrying the piercing whistle for miles. Ten minutes later, Harry canceled the enhancement spell on his throat when he heard a familiar answering honking cry sound out from a distance. Not long after that, the gray and white eagle dove down out of the sky and Harry lifted his left arm for him to land on. At the same time another man wearing a uniform similar to Zebro's underneath a fur lined jacket and a white headband joined those that were following Harry.

"Hey, buddy," Harry murmured as he fished out a Hawker's Treat and fed it to the bird. "Did you find Killua?" The eagle bobbed his head up and down several times before he pointed his left wing in the direction of the dormant volcano upon which the Zoldyck family had built their home. "Good job, Flip. I need you to show me the shortest way there."

Flip let out a single cry as he launched himself back into the air and circled Harry once before he was flew straight towards the mansion. Harry didn't hesitate to chase after the eagle; the wizard only staying on the ground because a small part of him hadn't forgotten that the others were currently following him. He was led, not along the footpath, but directly through the forest and it wasn't long before he was vaulting over dead trees and other obstacles without slowing his pace. The string of curses sounding out from behind him let him know that the others had followed him and that they were less than pleased with Harry's chosen path.

Eventually, their chosen path once again lined up with the main footpath and Harry slowed to a stop the moment he saw a young black girl about his age blocking the path where it passed between two vine-wrapped square posts that were part of an old wrought iron and stone wall. The fifteen year old wizard tilted his head to one side like a curious bird as he studied the young girl; taking in her milk chocolate skin, her neatly arranged dreadlocks, her dark gray eyes filled with determination, and the dark blue suit she was wearing that emphasized her developing form. Had Harry not been quite so angry at the moment, he might have considered her pretty and considered flirting with her a bit but he was angry and she was standing between him and Killua.

"Leave; you are trespassing on private property."

"I will only give you one chance to stand down and get out of my way," Harry replied in response to the girl's order as he purposefully began walking towards her while he tightened his hold on his hidden wand gripped firmly in hand and pulled the incantation for the Stunning Spell to the forefront of his mind. "I don't want to hurt you but I will not allow anyone to stand in my way. I tried to be civil but I've had an extremely shitty week and I'm afraid that I have no more patience to spare at the moment."

"I can not allow you to pass; if you cross this line I will remove you by force," the girl replied as she drew a line in the dirt at her feet.

"So be it."

Harry dashed forward before skidding to a stop right in front of the girl as he whipped his right hand up and cast the Stunning Spell at point blank range. The girl's eyes flared wide in shock before she lost consciousness as the red light of the spell washed over her face. Harry darted forward to catch the girl as she crumpled to the ground, not wishing for her to smack her head on either of the posts or the ground. He then gently propped her up against one of the rock columns before he continued on his way; his magic still swirling around him in a visible aura as he once again left the footpath to follow Flip.

The next obstacle Harry encountered on his chosen path was a bizarre looking woman and a young child. The woman was wearing a dark purple Victorian Era dress (complete with lots of decorative ruffles, a tightly tied corset, and wide bustle), a large hat with an extra wide brim that cast her bandaged wrapped face and neck into shadows, and some kind of high tech visor over her eyes. The child at her side was rather androgynous in appearance with his or her dark hair cut short in the back and brushing the top of his or her shoulders in the front. The child was dressed in a traditional kimono with a wide sash tied high around his or her waist.

"Are you Gon?" the woman asked as the wizard stopped in his tracks and stared at her.

"No."

"Who are you and why are you here?"

"I am here to visit my friend," Harry replied as he ignored her first question; his eyes narrowing as he noticed the way she pressed her lips together in either irritation or distress the moment he said the word friend.

"And just who is this supposed friend you are here to visit?"

"Killua."

"Killua is not accepting visitors right now. He's busy."

"Bullshit."

"Why can't Killua have any visitors?" Gon demanded as the others finally caught up to Harry; Leorio had taken the time to stop and check the health of the girl Harry had knocked out before he'd picked her up so that nothing happened to her while she was unconscious.

"He's in solitary confinement…" the woman began only for her to let out a gasp of surprise as Harry was suddenly right up in her face in a flash of gold; his molten gold irises blazing with pure fury as he twisted his hand in the fancy ruffles decorating the bodice of her dress and pulled her down so that she was eye level with him.

"If I find out that you have harmed Killua in _any_ way, I will peel the flesh from your body inch by inch, salt the resulting wounds, and slowly roast you alive over an open campfire for a month of Sundays. I don't care who you are or how you are related to my little stray pup; I will make you pay tenfold for any pain you have inflicted upon him."

"Who do you think you are to speak to me in such a way…?"

"I am James Evans; friend and companion to Killua and you are pissing me the hell off," Harry hissed out just loud enough for the woman to hear him as his magic whipped around the two of them and yanked the hat from the woman's head; revealing long black hair laced through with strands of gray and white that had been piled into a bun on the top of her head.

"Evans…? You… you're an Evans…?" the woman stuttered in a barely audible squeak.

"Correction… I'm a seriously pissed off Evans."

The woman actually fainted at that point and Harry was nearly squished beneath the weight of her dress alone as she toppled over on top of him and knocked him to the ground. Cursing under his breath, Harry fought his way free of the woman's clothing before he glanced at the near panicking child that kept glancing between the unconscious woman and the furious wizard. The moment the child realized he was staring in his or her direction, the child eeped as his or her eyes went wide with shock tinged with fear.

"I did not come here to hurt anyone," Harry lowly stated as he fought to keep control of his temper. "I came here to see Killua because he is my friend and I wanted to make certain that he was alright. I am angry that people are continuously trying to keep me from my friend and I am less than pleased to learn that he is potentially being punished. So long as you don't stand in my way, I will leave you alone."

"What did you do to Mother?" the child asked as his or her eyes turned flinty; all traces of fear and panic vanishing in an instant.

"Nothing; she passed out. She shouldn't be wearing tight corsets at her age; she wasn't getting enough oxygen to her brain because it was restricting her lungs. There's a reason why most woman stopped wearing such restricting clothing and it wasn't just for the sake of the latest fashions. Do you plan to prevent me from seeing Killua?"

"No. I don't care if you visit my brother. Milluki has him in the dungeon right now because Killua is being punished for stabbing Milluki and Mother before he ran away from home. Are you going to kill my older brothers?"

"You don't sound very sad over the possibility of their deaths," Kurapika pointed out with a slight frown.

"I hate my brothers. I hate Killua and Alluka most of all because everyone spoils Killua and Killua dotes on Alluka. I don't see why everyone thinks the two of them are so special."

Harry's anger dissipated just enough that the visible aura surrounding him faded and gazed at the child with empathy as he stated, "Every person is special in their own way. I can understand why you would hate Killua for getting extra attention from everyone else; I used to hate my cousin for the same reason. My cousin thrived on that attention unlike Killua who hates being treated the way he is. Killua could have become a fat, self-absorbed slob who bullies anyone and everyone around him; he didn't. Remember that the next time you feel jealous because of how Killua is being treated."

"I'm jealous of him right now; you think Killua's special enough to break into our home just to talk to him."

"And if you and I were friends and I thought you needed my help; I would do the same for you in a heartbeat," Harry stated as he reached into his mokeskin pouch and pulled out a bar of Honeydukes' chocolate that he tossed to the kid as a peace offering of sorts. "I'm certain that when you finally do make friends of your own that they will see you as something special as well. If they don't, then they aren't really your friends."

Harry whistled for Flip and waited for the bird to reappear before he continued on towards the family mansion; leaving behind a stunned child that was staring at the chocolate bar in his hand in complete confusion. Zebro and the other man that had joined their procession didn't bother following the other three teens and pre-teen as they scrambled after Harry; the two men staying to watch over the woman and the child as they used their cell phones to call ahead to warn the rest of the staff about the intruders that were passing through the usual security checks as if they weren't even there.

Not long after that confrontation, Harry stepped free of the forests that surrounded the mountain and got his first good look at the old dormant volcano rising up in front of him. A single glance was all it took for Harry to know that he'd either need to fly from this point forward or he'd need to stick to the footpath because it was too treacherous to attempt climbing straight up the side of the mountain. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Harry glanced behind him to see his three companions stepping out of the forest with Leorio still carrying the stunned girl for some reason.

_The long road it is,_ Harry groused to himself as he railed against the need to continue hiding his magic from his three companions. He knew it was too risky to reveal himself though and he really didn't want the magicals to mess with Gon, Leorio, or Kurapika's minds because he slipped up and revealed magic to three muggles; completely forgetting that his aura had been visible for the last four hours and that they'd seen him flash through time and space in a burst of gold magic several times now (the first handful of times occurring during the Final Phase of the Hunter's Exam).

Resigned to a long walk, Harry started up the trail that was off to his right.

He'd barely been hiking for an hour up the footpath that wove back and forth up the craggy mountain when he rounded the bend to find a house nestled against the mountain. All of the windows in the house were blazing in the night and their light washed over the trail; chasing away the shadows that could have potentially hidden anyone walking on the path. The light also illuminated the five men that were blocking his path.

Harry gave out a frustrated growl at finding yet another obstacle in his path and stopped just ten feet away from the men that were staring at him with cold hard eyes. The wizard took a moment to note that all five men were wearing a uniform that was very similar to the one that the girl he'd encountered earlier had been wearing. They also all had short hair and were clean shaven bar the man wearing glasses in the middle of the line (who had a goatee).

"You need to leave now; you are not welcome here," the middle man declared as he took a single step forward.

Harry recognized the man's voice as belonging to the man he'd spoken to on the phone and his earlier rage returned threefold now that he was standing in front of the man that had pissed him off. Harry's aura burst forth in a shower of gold mist as a strong wind swept across the pathway and buffeted everyone standing on the cliff-side. The wizard then let out a low growling hiss that carried on the wind and seemingly echoed all around as his magic amplified the sound.

"Shut your flap trap you barnacle encrusted bilge rat on steroids, I'm in no mood to listen to your voice," Harry snapped as he tucked away his wand before he reached up and pulled Gryffindor's sword from its scabbard. "All you had to do was allow one of us to speak with Killua and this matter could have been resolved before you forced my hand by being an utter dick. Now, kindly get out of my way before you piss me off further."

"You are trespassing on private property; if you do not leave immediately, we will remove you by force."

Harry's response was to whistle for Flip and when the eagle dropped down to circle over his head, Harry ordered, "Fetch me a live rat, Flip."

The eagle let loose a honking screech before he vanished into the forest below. The bird returned just a few minutes later with the requested rodent dangling from his claws. Harry held out his left hand and the frightened creature was gently set into his hand. The wizard then set the rat on the ground and pinned it in place with Gryffindor's sword by the tip of its tail. All three of those standing behind Harry flinched when the rat began to thrash and squeal loudly as its body started to swell up and turned black as the traces of basilisk venom that had been absorbed and twisted by the goblin forged blade immediately began killing the rat and the scraggly grass and weeds within ten inches of the blade.

"I will give you one last chance to get out of my way," Harry stated as he pulled the blade free and settled into an offensive stance.

"Death does not frighten us; we will never allow you to pass."

"So be it."

Harry transferred Gryffindor's blade into his left hand while he withdrew his wand once more and prepared to attack. All five of the men blocking the path spread out and formed a half circle around Harry in order to defend themselves. The wizard then shifted up onto the balls of his feet as he dropped his left hand down to hold Gryffindor's sword at a forty-five degree angle with the tip of the blade pointing down and away from his body and his right arm rose up to hold his wand in the ready position. Their fight was then stopped at that precise moment before it could even begin.

"Gotoh, that is enough; you and the others are dismissed," a commanding voice ordered.

"Sir…?"

"You heard me; leave us. I will deal with our visitors."

"Yes, sir," Gotoh (the man in the middle wearing glasses) replied as he bowed in the direction that the voice had come from before he and the other men vanished into the mansion; one of them approaching Leorio to collect the unconscious girl from the tall teen.

"If I find out that you've punished the pretty little lady there because I bested her, then I will see to it that you suffer whatever fate she suffers threefold," Harry stated coldly as he glanced back at the man now carrying the girl.

"She will not be punished," the commanding voice promised as the shadows shifted and a short man with windswept silver hair and a long thin mustache that hung down passed his chin stepped into the light bathing the footpath. The man was wearing a pale long sleeved shirt beneath a dark blue tunic with a gold collar and a white strip of cloth with Japanese characters on it, long dark blue pants loosely wrapped with bandages, and flat slipper-like shoes. "I am Zeno Zoldyck. Might I know your name, young man?"

Harry straightened up slowly as he studied the man in front of him; his senses screaming at him that the man was far more dangerous than anyone else he'd met up to that point. He also knew that threatening the man would be the stupidest thing he could do at this point; the wizard fully aware that Killua liked and respected his father and grandfather (even if he disliked the fact that they were pushing him to take up the family business).

Sheathing his sword and tucking away his wand, Harry offered the man a polite nod in recognition of his introduction before he replied, "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir; Killua spoke of you fondly. My name is James Evans; my companions and I are here to visit Killua. We wish to make certain that he is alright as he left without saying goodbye."

"And the reason you destroyed our front gate, crippled our watchdog, attacked one of our servants, threatened my daughter-in-law, and threatened to kill five more of our servants?"

"I was a touch annoyed by the fact that your head butler would not even allow us the opportunity to prove that we meant Killua no harm. I would not have used force to get this far, if I had been allowed to simply speak to Killua over the phone or even been informed that I would have to make an appointment in order to see him. I will also admit to being a little cranky because I have not been eating or sleeping well out of concern for Killua's current wellbeing due to the fact that his older brother chased him off with threats, lies, and the use of one of the Unforgivables. I really, really, dislike those that use any of the Unforgivables; especially when they use them on one of my friends."

"I see," Zeno murmured as he folded his hands behind his back and studied the wizard for a moment. "I will escort you to the family mansion so that you might visit with Killua on the condition that your three friends remain here."

"We want to see Killua too," Gon pointed out with a scowl as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"James, I don't think that is a good idea," Kurapika stated worriedly at the same time.

"I am willing to accept your condition, providing that my companions are allowed to remain until they too may have a chance to see Killua; it would not be fair to them if I was the only one to see our friend."

"So long as they remain here for the night and make no attempts to go beyond this point; I will see to it that they have an opportunity to visit with Killua before they leave. We usually do not allow visitors to reach the main house as a safety precaution since the knowledge of how to reach our home is too easily taken from an unprotected mind. I'm willing to make an exception in your case for personal reasons."

"How do we know that no harm will come to James once he is out of our sight?" Leorio demanded with a frown. "After all, you are an assassin and James did stomp on quite a few toes to get this far."

"No Zoldyck would dare knowingly harm an Evans; we value our lives," Zeno replied with a trace of indignation as he scowled slightly at the nineteen year old.

"I'll be fine," Harry added as he silently called Flip down from the air. "Stay here and watch over my friends, Flip. I'll see to Killua." The wizard then transferred the eagle to Gon's arm, to the twelve year old's surprise. "If you need me, just send Flip to find me and I will know that you need me."

"Be careful, James," Kurapika ordered in a low voice filled with concern.

"Yes, mother," Harry cheekily replied with a sharp salute as the last of his anger faded away and his magic retreated now that it appeared nothing else would stand in his way of seeing Killua; the gold melting and fading from his eyes to reveal his emerald irises once more.

"Come, Mr. Evans, we have a bit of a walk ahead of us," Zeno instructed as he gestured towards the footpath.

* * *

**Notes:**

* A large chunk of this chapter was based upon Japanese version of Episodes 22 (A x Dangerous x Watchdog), Episode 23 (The x Guard's x Duty), and Episode 24 (The x Zoldyck x Family) of the 2011 Anime. There are a couple of direct quotes (mixed in through the dialogue of the chapter) taken from those episodes but on the whole I tried to write my own script in order to avoid plagiarizing that part.

** Mike – the watch dog's name is pronounced as me-kay for those of you who are not familiar with the manga or anime

* * *

**AN:** _I just wanted to say that I don't condone the use or abuse of rats or other rodents for cruel demonstrations. I only used the rat at this point because Harry has developed a dislike for rats because of Pettigrew, he was looking to spook the men blocking his way (not that it worked), and his judgment was clouded by anger at the time. I can safely say that he won't be giving another such demonstration using a live animal again. _

**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	18. Supping x with x Assassins

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: Supping x with x Assassins

A tense silence descended between Harry and Zeno Zoldyck as they two of them moved away from the light of the butler's manor; Harry more than a little wary of the powerful old man beside him and Zeno more than a little leery of the raw and untrained power of the moody teen walking beside him. For a short while, Harry tried to distract himself from the uncomfortable air surrounding their party of two by studying the passing scenery but it was really too dark to appreciate the craggy mountainside and while Harry could have used the Night Vision Enhancement Spell, he feared that the man beside him would think that he was attacking if he pulled out his wand (even hidden as it was by the sheath made from his invisibility cloak).

After giving up and studying the terrain, Harry decided that the only way to beat the wretched silence was to fill it with conversation (even if said conversation was to be with a man he feared more than a little). So, Harry collected his Gryffindor courage, cleared his throat, and politely inquired, "Mr. Zoldyck, would you be willing to tell me when you met another Evans and which Evans it was that you met?"

"Only if you will call me Zeno and if you will tell me how you met and befriended my grandson, Mr. Evans," Zeno replied with a trace of amusement in his voice.

"I can't promise that I'll remember to call you by your first name, sir, but I don't mind telling you how I met Killua. I first saw him when he arrived at the gathering point for those taking the Hunter's Exam. It was his pale hair that caught my attention and the fact that he was even younger than I am but I was avoiding a few of the other annoyances that were there and so didn't show myself to him. The next time I saw him, he amused me because he was pissing off a bunch of the older applicants because he was riding his skateboard while everyone else around him was running."

Harry paused to snicker as he recalled the dirty looks he'd seen thrown at Killua for that damned skateboard. Once he collected himself, he continued the story, "I wouldn't actually meet him until he crept up to my campfire begging for food at the end of the First Phase. Well, he was actually begging for sweets because at the time I was snacking on roasted marshmallows."

"And I have to tell you, your grandson can be highly annoying when he puts his mind to it; we must have argued back and forth for an hour before I finally caved and shared my s'mores with him. We spent the rest of that night bonding over s'mores and roasted apples and I've been calling Killua my little stray puppy ever since; because, like a stray, he kept coming back for more food and because I know it annoys him."

Zeno was laughing along with Harry by the time the teen finished and just like that the tension between the two of them melted away. After a few minutes, the two of them trailed off into silence though neither of them had stopped grinning over the image of Killua's pouting glare each time he was called a stray pup.

"I think I am looking forward to hearing more about what trouble you and my grandson got up to during the rest of the Hunter's Exam," Zeno admitted after a while. "I wish that I could say that the story you wished to hear from me was equally amusing but I'm afraid my first, last, and only meeting with an Evans before you is a far darker tale. I had just turned fourteen and my grandfather wished to test my skills; he sent me to Germany at the height of the Second World War with nothing more than a list of targets we'd been contracted to remove from the war."

"I had been tracking a particularly elusive target at the time and was both tired and cranky because each time I'd get close enough to make the kill; my target would slip through my fingers like smoke. My target would eventually meet up with two more of the targets on my list and I had high hopes of eliminating all three of them in one strike. I never got the chance. It turns out that I wasn't the only one stalking those particular individuals. I'll never forget the moment that man appeared in a blaze of gold; I could practically feel the rage pouring from the man and as I sat watching from my chosen hiding place, I witnessed the unknown man obliterate all three of my targets without laying a finger on them."

"To this day I have no idea how it was he knew that I was there but he ordered me to show myself before he dragged me out piece by piece. I was certain that I was going to die either way and so I stood up as I had no wish to die slowly and painfully. The man had taken one look at me, swore enough to make a sailor blush, and then demanded to know who I was and why I was there. So I told him my name and that I had been tracking Grindelwald…"

"Gellert Grindelwald?" Harry demanded as he tensed up the moment that he recognized the name.

"No, Griselda Grindelwald; she was, without a doubt, one nasty piece of work but even she was no where near as bad as her father, Gellert," Zeno corrected once he got over his surprise at being interrupted. "As I was saying, I told the man that I had been tracking Grindelwald and that she'd led me straight to Becker and Schultz; all three individuals were high level officers beneath Hitler and Gellert Grindelwald and just three of the targets that I'd been sent to eliminate. The man cursed a second time, grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, and hauled me back to the Hunter Association's base."

"The moment we arrived, he shoved me at Isaac Netero and told him to, and I quote, 'Babysit the brat, will you, Zac; I have more important things to do than look after lost strays seeking glory.' Oh boy was I ever ticked and I demanded to know who he thought he was to treat me like a baby as I prepared to attack him in my anger (completely forgetting that I'd just watched him take out three high level threats without breaking a sweat). The man was not amused and he picked me up by the scruff of my neck a second time and got right up in my face and told me; 'I am Gregory Evans and a number of people have just seriously pissed me off; I suggest you shut up and sit tight, least you piss me off as well.' He then tossed me back at Isaac before leaving."

"I damn near pissed my pants I was so scared after being hit with the full force of his rage in that brief moment. Isaac led me off to the medical tent to have me checked out shortly after that, all the while muttering under his breath about short tempered jerks. Just before I was passed off to one of the doctors on hand, Isaac looked me in the eye and said, 'You're lucky that the old Firebrand has a soft spot for kids because if anyone else had annoyed him while he was caught up in a fury, there'd not be enough of them left to bury by the time he finished with them. Never cross an Evans, boy; because it will be the last thing that you ever do.' I was too shocked to reply."

"It wasn't until later that night that I realized that Evans had stolen my list of targets from me at some point and I went hunting through the camp for him in order to get it back but I never saw Gregory Evans again. The fact that my targets kept ending up dead only confirmed that the man had taken my list though and I was fit to be tied knowing that my grandfather would blame me for losing the list in the first place and therefore loosing the credit for those kills. I would have gone after the man to reclaim my list so I could finish my job but Isaac kept me on a short leash."

"I was still with the Association two months later when the news broke that Gregory Evans had been killed by Gellert Grindelwald in retaliation for the death of Griselda Grindelwald. I was shocked; I didn't think that anyone could kill a man as powerful as Evans. Grandfather showed up a week later to take me home and instead of being punished for someone else taking down my targets, I was given a sincere apology from my grandfather. I later learned that Evans had stormed our home shortly after dropping me on Isaac's hands, breaking down the Testing Gate in the process, in order to take my grandfather to task for sending a half-trained child into a war zone against the likes of the Grindelwalds."

"I'll fix the gate before I leave, sir," Harry replied meekly as he was reminded of the damage that he'd done to the same gate when he'd broken into the estate earlier that evening.

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Evans; the damage is already being repaired by my staff," Zeno countered with a soft laugh. "Although, I'm certain that my son would greatly appreciate it if you restored Mike to his full size."

"I fully intended to after I'd seen Killua; I have the antidote in my pack. I only wanted to neutralize him long enough to get through to see Killua, not do him any permanent harm."

"My son will be pleased to hear that."

The two of them walked in silence for another dozen feet before Harry offered a heartfelt, "Thank you for sharing your memory of meeting my great-grandfather, Mr. Zoldyck."

"You're welcome… and I thought I told you to call me Zeno?"

"Well, I did warn you that I might find it difficult to do so, sir."

"So, you did," Zeno replied with an amused snort. "So, tell me, young Evans, what made you decide to seek a Hunter's License at your age? I know Killua went looking for a challenge but even as a child my grandson was easily bored."

"I went looking to find myself but I think I learned far more over the six months it took for the vessel I was on to reach Dolle Harbor than I did during the entire Exam. Like Killua, I was bored through most of the Exam."

"Oh? Your parents must have put you through some pretty intensive training to prepare you for the Exam if you found it too easy."

"I'm an orphan, Mr. Zoldyck, I never knew my parents. The only training I ever received was from life and bullies and the occasional teacher that took an interest in me while I was still in school. Most everything I learned is self taught; or it was until Jacob and Gunter took me under their wing shortly after I boarded the Kaijinmaru back in June."

"An orphan? My apologies, I did not know. Although, if you don't mind me asking, how is it that you know who your great-grandfather was if you were not raised by your parents?"

"You don't have to apologize, sir; you didn't know. And I didn't know anything about my family until I turned eleven and even then it wasn't more than their names, a couple of pictures, and a few comments about me looking like them. It wasn't until I turned fourteen that I learned quite a bit more; when I emancipated myself in order to escape an unpleasant foster family. I never really expected to meet anyone that personally knew my grandfather or great-grandfather when I first boarded the ship that would take me to the Hunter's Exam."

"Emancipated at fourteen… just how old are you, Mr. Evans? I could have sworn you were the same age as Killua…"

"I'll be eighteen in June," Harry replied with a shrug of his shoulders; the lie rolling easily off his tongue after claiming to be two years older than he really was for so long. "I've always been small for my age."

"I imagine so, you mentioned an unpleasant foster family; unpleasant as in abusive…?"

"No, they never beat me; neglectful, yes, but not abusive. Their son was another matter altogether but it can hardly be called abuse when the boy was just a few months older than me."

Zeno let out a contemplative hum that made Harry grimace; he knew exactly what that hum meant. It meant that subject would be dropped for now but that it would be revisited later. Harry sighed and shook his head; he'd come to terms with his treatment at the hands of the Dursleys long before he'd ever gotten his Hogwarts letter. He knew they were bigots and there was no love lost between them but he also knew that his life could have been far worse (would have turned far worse if he'd not escaped when he had). Besides, Harry would get his revenge on his so called family yet. If anyone had seen the small unholy smirk on the young wizard's face at that precise moment, they would have hit the ground running in fear for their lives as that small smile spoke of promised pain and humiliation on a level that could be considered borderline torture.

"Well, here we are, Mr. Evans; welcome to the Zoldyck Family Mansion," Zeno intoned as they stepped around a huge boulder and onto a stone walkway set in a meticulously manicured lawn.

Across the lawn Harry could make out the shadow of a gazebo and an assortment of trees, shrubs, and flowering bushes that were tastefully arranged for beauty and in a pattern that Harry knew would prevent any intruders from using them to hide behind. Overlooking the entire garden was a magnificent castle that Harry imagined would put Hogwarts to shame and at the same time inspired fear. Harry let out a low whistle of appreciation as he canted his head backwards so that he could trace the top of the towers that appeared to have been carved right out of the mountain in places.

"You have a magnificent fortress, Mr. Zoldyck; it is both beautiful and intimidating."

"I'd be happy to give you a tour of the castle, if you are interested."

"So long as it doesn't involve an up close and personal view of an iron maiden from the inside, I'm game," Harry quipped in return which set Zeno to chortling once more.

"Can I interest you in a night on the rack instead?"

"Only if you can guarantee that I'll gain at least another five centimeters out of the deal."

"Well, no, I can't promise you that; but I can guarantee that you'll be feeling very loose and relaxed once you get up. All it takes is one night a week to increase one's flexibility."

"I bet," Harry snorted as they climbed up the stone stairs that lead to the front entrance of the castle.

The huge door opened before the two of the reached the top of the stairs and the biggest man Harry had ever seen (not counting Hagrid or Buhara) stepped out onto the small landing at the top of the stairs. The wizard suspected that the man standing in front of him had more muscles on him than Hagrid did; his arms and legs looked as if they barely fit inside of the clothes he was wearing. In fact, his clothes practically looked painted on. His face and body were made up of hard lines and Harry seriously doubted that the man had even an ounce of fat on him. Harry had no doubt that the man was related to Killua and Zeno in some way as he had the same pale silver-white hair as both man and pre-teen in addition to having the same piercing blue eyes.

Cradled in one of the man's large hands, was the miniaturized Mike; looking even smaller due to how large the man's hands were. Harry froze the moment his eyes landed on the shrunken watchdog until he felt eyes on him and he glanced up to find himself caught in the man's sapphire gaze; a small part of him noting how cat-like his pupils appeared. As Harry stared up at the man, he absently wondered what Voldemort would make out of meeting a muggle that was ten times scarier than old snake-face himself and a small smirk threatened to creep onto the wizard's face as he pictured said meeting in his mind.

"Silva, allow me to introduce you to James Evans. Mr. Evans, this is my son, Silva Zoldyck."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zoldyck," Harry stated as he bravely held his hand out to the large man. "I will also apologize now for the current state of your watchdog. I was only eleven when I developed an aversion to being devoured by hellhounds and I have a healthy respect for other people's pets; so I chose to neutralize Mike rather than cause him permanent harm. I do have the antidote on hand that will restore him to his former glory."

"I have heard about you, Mr. Evans," Silva rumbled as he engulfed Harry's hand in his and clasped it tightly.

"If it was Killua who was telling you tales about me, then every single word he told you was a lie; I'm far worse than he could ever imagine me to be," Harry fired right back as he tried not to flinch over the not quite painful grip on his hand and wrist.

"So, you admit to being a terrible influence on my son?"

"Oh, most definitely… he challenged me to get him freshly made donuts out in the middle of Zevil Island and I never back down from a challenge. I also don't like to lose and as a result your son and our other friend Gon, who is the same age as Killua, were bouncing off the trees for hours after eating close to two dozen donuts apiece. I ended up having to keep them occupied until the end of the Fourth Phase."

"And how did you manage to contain two hyperactive twelve year olds?"

"That was easy… I started a mud fight."

Silva stared at him for a moment before he burst out laughing as he pulled Harry forward to clap him on the back; nearly knocking Harry to his knees. Beside them, Zeno was quietly laughing as well as he ushered the bemused and slightly bruised teen into the fortress through the open door.

"Now about that antidote, Mr. Evans; you said you had it on you?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied as he swung his pack off his back and opened up the trunk to rummage around for the antidote to the Shrinking Solution as their group slowed to a stop just inside of the castle. It didn't take him long to find the correct vial and measure out a single dose into an empty vial that he passed to the giant of a man before he returned his pack-trunk to his back. "All you have to do is feed him this and he will revert back to his former size none the worse for wear. I do recommend that you have him sitting on the ground in a place with enough space for his full-sized form as the antidote is fast acting and he will grow very big, very fast."

Silva nodded and held both dog and vial out to a gentleman with long hair in a butler's uniform that appeared from out of nowhere. Harry didn't even blink at the appearance of the stranger; he'd long since grown used to people and creatures popping up out of the blue ever since he'd been introduced to the magical world. It helped that Harry's attention had been caught by the historical tapestries that were hung up on the walls of the entrance hall; many of them appearing to be larger than life weavings of Zoldyck family members based upon the similarities those the current members that Harry noticed in their faces.

"Have you eaten supper yet, Mr. Evans?" Silva inquired a moment later, bringing Harry's attention back to the two powerful men standing beside him.

"No, I haven't but you don't need to trouble yourself on my account; missing a meal or two every now and then is nothing new for me."

"Nonsense; you'll be joining the family for supper," Zeno insisted as he critically eyed the teen.

Harry glanced at the shorter man for a moment before he shrugged and replied, "Alright, just please hold the arsenic; it gives me indigestion."

"Oh, I think I'm going to like you," Silva roared with laughter as he clapped Harry on the back a second time; once again nearly knocking the much smaller teen onto his face.

Harry in the mean time silently promised Killua the pranking of a lifetime if he ended up with a hand shaped bruise on his back from his father's affection; the kid could have at least warned him about his father's size and strength. The wizard's attention was soon pulled from plotting out revenge to studying the paintings, tapestries, armor, weapons, and other expensive pieces of artwork, metalwork, and stonework that were tastefully spread throughout the castle. It reminded the fifteen year old of Hogwarts and he felt a pang in his heart as he thought about his first home.

Burying his regret, grief, and homesickness deep in the back of his mind for now, Harry focused on his surroundings and struck up a conversation with the two men about the various objects decorating the halls. He learned quite a bit about the Zoldyck family home in the twenty minutes it took them to get from the front entrance to the dining room, though they obviously didn't give him any information that would put their safety at risk. Harry was also extra careful to keep his questions limited to the artwork, the architecture and design of the castle, and on the public history of both the castle and the Zoldyck Family.

Both older men expressed more than a little surprise over how little Harry actually knew about their family and most of that was strictly based upon what Killua had told him and what he'd picked up from the other Hunters. Harry's claim of being allergic to technology in all forms had both amused and horrified the two assassins as technology was an important tool of their profession; especially when it came to gathering information. Harry had been slapped on the back at least six more times during those twenty minutes and Harry had gone from fearing hand shaped bruises to fearing that he'd have a permanent hand shaped dent on the back of his shoulder.

When he ran out of questions, the two men questioned him about his interactions with Killua. Fifteen minutes and a dozen hallways later, all three males were laughing as they entered the dining room; Harry was regaling the older two men with the rabid butterfly prank he'd pulled on the others. He'd just gotten to the part where he'd poked his head out of his tent to find all four of them covered with bites and stings and trying to pretend that they hadn't actually let the butterflies out of the jar and the looks on their faces when he had mentioned the venom.

"I told Kurapika that the whole thing was a prank you'd set up!" a very familiar voice raged and Harry snapped his head up and to the side to find a slightly scuffed up Killua glaring at him with his arms crossed.

"Pfft… as if; Kurapika was the one that warned you it was probably a prank in the first place and if you'd listened to him at the time and not opened the jar, then you would not have been bit," Harry countered with a smirk before he grew serious as he crossed the room, grabbed Killua in a headlock, and gave the twelve year old a noogie. "Consider it a down payment on all of the pranking I owe you for taking off without saying goodbye. I swear; you have to be one of the rudest little brats I've ever stumbled across."

"Ow! Let me go, you creep! Ouch! Cut it out!"

"Not until I've finished my ranting," Harry countered with a growl. "Do you have any damn clue how wretched I was feeling after you up and vanished!? You didn't even let me apologize to you for knocking you out after I failed to snap you out of your killing rage! Bloody hell, do you have any idea how terrible I felt about failing you!? And what about Gon? Do you have any idea how horrible he feels right now about being unconscious when you needed him? He's been beating himself up over failing you as well."

"Gon's here?" Killua asked with more than a little excitement.

"Yes; he's down at the butler's mansion with Kurapika and Leorio. As soon as they let us go and we knew where to look for you, we dropped everything to come make certain that you were alright. You are alright, aren't you? You'd better be alright or heads are going to roll; no one is allowed to kick my little stray pup."

"Stop calling me a puppy!" Killua ordered belligerently as he finally escaped from the head lock to scowl up at Harry.

"I'm only calling it like I sees it," Harry fired right back as he critically eyed the twelve year old in order to make certain that he hadn't been harmed. He then met Killua's gaze with tormented emerald eyes flecked with glittering dots of gold as he rasped, "Killua… I… I'm sorry. I should have been faster. I should have recognized what had happened sooner. I tried arguing with Chairman Netero about your disqualification but it was like arguing with a brick wall." A snort sounding from somewhere behind him distracted Harry for a moment as he pulled his gaze away from the twelve year old to glance at Zeno who appeared to be having a fit of some kind.

"Shut up, James," Killua ordered in an exasperated tone as he shoved Harry off balance while his attention was on Zeno, which caused the wizard to end up sprawled on the floor. "You're being annoying again. Not to mention that you're being rude to the rest of my family by ignoring them. You're such a hypocrite; always going on and on about manners but always forget to use any manners yourself!"

"Yeah, well you started it by being rude first," Harry maturely pointed out before he stuck his tongue out at the twelve year old.

He then climbed to his feet and knocked Killua face first into the floor accidentally on purpose in the process. Killua prepared to retaliate only for Zeno to deftly step in and slap both of the boys on the back of the head as he sternly told them, "No roughhousing in the dining room."

"Yes, sir!" Killua and Harry quickly cried out in sync as they both immediately pretended like they hadn't just been about to get into a wrestling match; much to the amusement of Killua's father.

"Come here, Mr. Evans; allow me to introduce you to the rest of the family," Zeno instructed after eyeing them for a moment. Harry obediently complied with the politely worded order; going from holding himself like a scolded child to presenting himself as an aristocrat twice his age as he reached the older man's side before he spun on his heels to take in the other individuals in the room. "I believe you briefly met with my beautifully deadly daughter-in-law earlier; Kikyo. My oldest grandson is not yet home but from what I understand you've already met Illumi."

"Yes, you could say that he made a lasting impression," Harry blandly drawled even as he offered a polite bow towards the bandaged woman that had accosted him earlier. "Madam, I am relieved to see you up and moving and suffering no lasting ill-health after your earlier fainting spell."

"Yes, moving on," Zeno stated as he cleared his throat around what suspiciously sounded like a laughter while the woman's mouth tightened in annoyance at the reminder of her reaction to learning Harry's assumed name. "May I present my next oldest grandson; Milluki." Harry's eyes sharpened slightly as his gaze landed on the tall, overweight boy whose name Harry had been given by Killua's other sibling. "You are, of course, familiar with my middle grandchild, Killua. And lastly, we have my youngest grandson; Kalluto, whom you also met earlier. I'm afraid that my grandfather, my wife, and my second youngest grandson are all unable to attend tonight's meal as they are feeling a bit under the weather at the moment."

"It is a pleasure to finally properly meet you, Kalluto," Harry stated as he focused on the young child he'd spoken to earlier. His eyes then cut sideways to the heavyset boy as his gaze and voice turned just a hair sharper as he added, "I have heard quite a bit about you from both Killua and Kalluto, Milluki. I must say that I am looking forward to spending time getting to know you." Harry's lips curled up in just the slightest hint of a satisfied smirk when the overweight boy paled and his eyes widened just a fraction before he twisted his face into a scowl.

"Family, may I present our guest; Mr. James Evans," Zeno finished with a slight frown as he glanced between Harry and his second oldest grandson (the man had easily picked up in the slight hostility in the wizard's voice and the brief flash of nervousness from his grandson as well as the rise in tension between the two boys).

"It is an honor to have you here, Mr. Evans," Kikyo simpered with false sincerity as she gave an approximation of a curtsy and held the tip of the fan she carried in her hand to her chin.

Harry opened his mouth to make a cheeky reply only to yelp when Killua kicked his ankle and hissed, "Don't antagonize Mother any more than you already have."

"Master Zoldyck, dinner is ready to be served," yet another butler announced, pulling Harry's attention from the twelve year old at his side.

Harry slipped his pack off and set it beside the door, making it a point to cast a wandless Sticking Charm on the bottom in order to prevent it from being carried off (just in case the anti-theft ward wasn't enough to deter one of the Zoldyck's servants from moving it). He then found himself being seated between Killua and Kalluto directly across from Milluki and Zeno while Silva and Kikyo sat on either end of the table. Several white clad servants carrying trays entered the room just moments later and served plates of salad to all of those seated at the table or poured sparkling wine into their glasses.

The formality of the meal was intimately familiar to Harry; reminding the wizard of the nights when Vernon would have clients over at the house. He was more than a little surprised when Killua had no trouble using proper table etiquette after knowing the kid for weeks and seeing him eat with far less aplomb. Harry supposed the kid had enjoyed being able to forget all about using proper table manners for a short time if he'd been so used to dining so formally all the time. From the partially disbelieving looks the kid was shooting him, Harry supposed that Killua was just as surprised over Harry easily mimicking everyone else at the table without needing to take queues from any of them.

_I suppose Aunt Petunia's deportment lessons from hell were good for something after all,_ Harry mused silently as he speared a paper thin slice of carrot and bit of red cabbage on his fork before taking a bite.

Throughout the meal, the entire group made small talk between bites; discussing a hundred different mundane topics without touching on anything controversial (such as religion, politics, or business). It was a rather unique dining experience for the wizard; there was none of the self-aggrandizing that was present during Dursleys meals, none of the ordered chaos that could be found during meal times at Hogwarts or on the Kaijinmaru, and none of the loud boisterousness that Harry associated with Weasley mealtimes. It was actually a rather pleasant meal and the food was delicious.

If Harry had been just a little more paranoid, he might have worried about being poisoned or drugged during the meal (he was dining with assassins after all) but sometime between when he'd first been confronted by Zeno and the moment he sat down to eat, Harry had become comfortable with the powerful and deadly people he was surrounded by. Though, he was still irked with Killua's two oldest brothers.

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**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	19. Sleepovers x and x Apologies

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Nineteen: Sleepovers x and x Apologies

After the meal, Zeno gave Harry the promised tour of what could be considered the public portions of the castle; those rooms, floors, and halls that didn't lead to the family's private quarters, offices, or other restricted area (like the torture chambers in the dungeons). Killua tagged along during the tour, constantly chattering at Harry about this and that and sharing a number of amusing stories about his various siblings. The tour ended at one of the many guest rooms the castle sported and Zeno bid the wizard a good night before he left Harry in Killua's care.

Killua shut the door the moment his grandfather left the room before he turned to Harry and demanded, "Why are you really here and how did you not get killed trying to get to the mansion? Who let you in through the Testing Gate?"

"All four of us came to make certain that you were alright; though, truth be told, I think Gon plans to smuggle you away from your family," Harry replied as he dropped his pack-trunk beside the large king-sized bed that took up much of the room and wearily sat down on the edge of the bed. "As for your other questions, I broke the Testing Gate in my anger and I'm a little harder to kill than your average thug, mercenary, and amateur assassin."

"You broke the Testing Gate?" Killua parroted back in shock and disbelief.

"Mmhmm," Harry hummed in confirmation as he leaned over the side of the bed and dug into his potion supplies for a vial of Dreamless Sleep. "Cracked all seven sets of doors and chipped the wall in more than a few places when I blew them open. If I hadn't been half exhausted already when I arrived, I probably would have blasted them clean off their hinges."

"That's not possible."

"Uh huh; and butterflies don't bite, you can't find fresh donuts on an uninhabited island, and I am not really sitting here on this bed after breaking into the second most secure estate in the world."

"Second most…? There is no place more protected than Kukuroo Mountain!"

"If you insist," Harry murmured as he lifted the vial of Dreamless Sleep up to eye level to inspect the familiar purple potion; the wizard far too tired to argue with the twelve year old.

"What is that?" Killua asked as his attention shifted from the near argument to the vial of purple liquid in Harry's hand.

"Nothing important," Harry replied as he tucked the vial into his pocket for later. "Why didn't you say goodbye before you left?"

"I was angry and embarrassed. Why won't you tell me what that was?"

"Angry and embarrassed about what?"

"I was angry that you got in my way and embarrassed because you were able to stop me. What are you trying to hide in that vial? Is it poison?"

"No, it's not poison; it's for me and it's not important. Are you trying to tell me that you wanted to kill Bodoro?"

"I didn't care who I killed, I just wanted to kill someone; and you could have been that someone. I could have killed you and yet you were able to stop me. I don't understand; how is it that you were able to stop me? Who trained you to move like that? Why did you stop me? And if that purple stuff was not important, then why did you dig it out of your pack?"

Harry sighed as he flopped back on the bed to stare up at the ceiling as he tried not to think about the nightmares that had been haunting him for over a week now. After a few minutes, he finally began speaking in a low voice, "I grew up alone; I was unwanted, unloved, and forever trapped on the outside looking in. It wasn't until I made my first friend shortly after my eleventh birthday that I learned what it felt like to belong somewhere. My friends became my family and each and every friend I have made since then means the world to me and I would die for any one of them. Somewhere between you slinking up uninvited to my campfire and the day you demanded I serve you freshly made donuts out in the middle of nowhere, you became one of those friends."

The wizard sat up at that point and pinned Killua with darkened emerald eyes that glittered with specks of gold before he continued, "I saw you struggling against whatever it was that drove you to attack Bodoro and that was enough for me to know that you were not attacking him because you wanted to. Whether or not you wished to kill had no bearing on the fact that you originally had no intention of attacking any of the other participants. Some part of you had died after your match with Illumi and your eyes were empty. I have seen that look in the eyes of others before and I know what caused it. I stopped you because I wished to protect you from the one that was manipulating you."

"And if I had killed you before you could stop me?"

"Then you would have succeeded in doing something that a number of older and more powerful people have been trying to do since before I was born."

"What do you mean?"

"The Zoldyck family isn't the only family with powerful enemies," Harry cryptically replied before he dug down into his pack to grab a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans in the hopes of distracting the other boy from asking any more questions. The wizard suppressed a smirk as he shook the box of candies and asked, "Did you want to share, Killua?"

"What did you do to them?" Killua demanded as he eyed the box as if Harry was holding a box of live vipers.

"Absolutely nothing," Harry replied as he ripped the seal off the box and plucked a dark green bean that he knew was watermelon flavored from the box and popped it into his mouth. "Paranoid much?"

"With you around…? Of course I am!" Killua fired back even as he reached in to snag a small handful of the candied beans that he immediately dumped into his mouth and started chewing.

Harry's eyes began dancing with laughter as the smirk he'd been holding back bloomed across his face when Killua's face slowly turned green while his eyes bugged out comically. He hadn't actually expected the kid to shove quite so many of the flavored candies into his mouth at once and he could only imagine how horrible the explosion of pleasant and foul flavors actually tasted together. The moment Killua dashed to the trashcan to spit out the wad of candy he'd been chewing, Harry burst into unrestrained giggles even as he reached into the box for another bean.

"What the hell was that!? I have never tasted anything so… so disgusting in all my life!"

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans… and they truly do mean every flavor! I've never seen anyone actually try eating a handful of them at a time like that before; not even my best friend and he's known to cram food into his mouth like it's going out of style. Oh… the look on your face was absolutely priceless! Makes me wonder if Gon ever got around to eating any of the ones that I'd dropped off at his bedside as a get well soon gift; I would have loved to have seen the look on his face as well. I'll have to ask him later."

"You did that on purpose!"

"Well, yeah; I did warn you that I owed you a dozen or so pranks for making me worry," Harry retorted as he shook the box of candies. "Are you too sissy to try another…?"

"There's no way in hell I'm eating another one of those disgusting things."

"Baby," Harry taunted as he ate another and tried not to choke as he tasted dirt; his earlier exhaustion forgotten in his amusement. "I bet you an entire box of donuts that I can go longer without getting sick over the disgusting flavors or spitting out the gross beans than you can."

"Two boxes of donuts and you're not allowed to peak into the box to pick and choose those colors you know are good."

"Deal; did you want this box or an unopened one?"

"Two unopened ones because you've already been picking and choosing beans out of that one!"

They ended up pouring all three boxes into an empty silver cauldron and taking turns blindly drawing beans one at a time until Killua dared Harry to eat two at once. Harry had it on good authority that liver and cotton candy did not go well together at all. He was at least saved from trying booger and salmon; an ungodly mixture if the look on Killua's face was anything to go by. After the first hour, Harry pulled out a gobstones set and a deck of Exploding Snap cards. Killua loved the exploding cards and grew annoyed with the spitting stones and the two of them practically destroyed the guest room as they continued to eat the Bertie Bott's Beans, played games, challenged each other with outlandish dares, and traded stories.

Unknown to the two boys, they were being watched the entire time by Silva and Zeno. The two older assassins had grown pensive when Harry had first offered Killua the candy and had barely restrained themselves from dashing off to the guest room to strangle him when Killua had gotten sick immediately after eating some of the candies. They were glad they hadn't given into the urge after they learned the truth about the beans and had even laughed at the some of the expressions both boys had gotten on their faces over some of the flavor combinations once they progressed to eating multiple beans.

The reverse poker game the two started with the exploding deck, where the object was to select the nastiest flavors to stick into the pot each time they made a bet with the winner having to eat the pot in two or three mouthfuls and the explosion of the cards signaling the end of a single round, had both men roaring with laughter as they watched the two struggle not to get sick as they ate their 'winnings'. The two men also used that time to study and analyze Harry while he was completely open, unguarded, and unaware of the intense inspection.

It didn't take them long to deduce that the teen had been more than just neglected by his foster family; they could see it in the way he would sometimes flinch when he was touched unexpectedly, in the way he would skirt around certain topics, and due to the fact that he acted years younger than his supposed actual age while playing around with Killua. Their eyes also hadn't missed the obvious knife scar in the crook of the teen's right elbow when he'd taken off his cloak or his thin and wiry frame that was looking somewhat gaunt again due to Harry's recent slue of nightmares and the lack of an appetite. Nor had they failed to see the lingering shadows in the teen's eyes once they got a good at them without his transitional lenses clouding the view.

Back in the room, Killua eventually lost the original bet as he choked and gagged on the latest winning pot; Harry's stomach and taste buds far too used to drinking rancid tasting potions to rebel just because of foul tasting candy. Harry laughingly passed Killua a handful of peppermint humbugs with a solemn promise that they were nothing but ordinary peppermint flavored candies. The twelve year old would end up crashing not long after his stomach settled and Harry laughed as he tucked the kid into the bed before he began cleaning up the messes that they had made with a few weak, wandless cleaning charms that he knew wouldn't interfere with any electronics nearby.

The wizard then fished out the vial of sleeping potion he'd taken from his trunk earlier and drank the entire vial in a single swallow (something that had made his unknown watchers contemplative) before he grabbed an extra blanket from his pack, snagged a pair of pillows from the bed, and settled down on the floor at the foot of the bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow; the Dreamless Sleep Draught pulling him into Morpheus's arms as soon as the potion hit his bloodstream.

Awareness slowly returned to the fifteen year old wizard late the next morning and he let out a soft groan the moment he realized he was no longer asleep. The mere thought of getting up after the first night of peaceful sleep he'd had in well over a week (potion induced though it was) was pure torture. A second groan sounded as the teen reluctantly threw the covers off and arched his back to stretch out sleep cramped muscles and a series of cracks due to joints popping and sliding back into place was followed by a low moan. Harry pushed himself up into a seated position a moment later; his hair tangled and fluffed out like a halo around his head (due to his braid coming undone while he slept), his glasses half hanging off his face (the wizard had forgotten to take them off the night before), and his eyes still closed.

A loud flurry of giggles were heard from above him and Harry peeled one eye open as he tilted his head sideways before twisting his head around so he could peer upwards. The moment he caught sight of the two laughing children propped up on the edge of the bed staring down at him, Harry snorted and started a pillow fight by pegging both boys right in the face with the pillows he'd slept on. When a knock sounded on the door sometime later, Harry dropped down onto the bed and pretended to sleep while the other two continued the fight. The door opened and a strangled gasp was all it took to break the two boys out of their pillow fight and Harry was hard pressed to continue his façade as feathers lazily drifted to the floor.

"What in the world is going on in here?" Kikyo demanded in a voice that sounded somewhere between scandalized and cross. "Kalluto, did I or did I not send you in here to wake our guest?"

"You did, Mother and he is awake," Kalluto replied as he glanced around in confusion trying to find said guest.

"Really? He is? Than why, pray tell, is he still snoring on the bed between you and your brother?"

"I don't understand; he was…"

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses; just wake him and inform him that brunch shall be served on the outside on the veranda in half an hour," Kikyo interrupted with a slight huff of annoyance. "You and I will discuss your failure to follow orders later."

"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Zoldyck," Harry stated as he dropped the ruse and sat up. "Kalluto followed your orders to the letter; I'm afraid that I was rather difficult to wake up this morning due to over exhaustion. In my sleep filled haze, I unknowingly challenged both Killua and Kalluto by telling them that they'd not get me out of bed even if they had a pillow fight on top of me."

"I see," Kikyo murmured as she stared at Harry from behind her visor for several moments. "I trust you are feeling well enough to join us for a late brunch?"

"Of course, it will only take me a few minutes to make myself presentable."

Kikyo nodded and withdrew from the room a heartbeat later and Harry let out an explosive sigh as he collapsed back onto the bed. A moment later, he was being attacked by a pair of pillows once more as the two younger boys pummeled him with the pillows in their hand. Harry laughed and quickly squirmed out from between the two boys before he buried them beneath the covers, dropped off the bed, grabbed his pack, and darted into the bathroom attached to the guest suite in order to take a quick shower, dress, and fix his hair.

"You were trying to get us in trouble," Killua accused the moment Harry stepped out of the bathroom.

"Hmm, no; I was looking to embarrass you," Harry countered as he finished braiding his hair before replacing his hat. "If I had wanted either of you in trouble, then I never would have sat up to claim responsibility for the pillow fight. I had not expected it to be your mother at the door, however, or I never would have pretended to still be sleeping. I'll make it up to you both later."

"I expect donuts," Killua muttered through pursed lips.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"And you have to keep your annoying birds away from them. Where are they, anyway?"

"Flip is hanging out with Gon right now and Flop should be turning up any day now with a reply to the letter I sent him to deliver," Harry replied as he gathered up his scattered belongings and put them away in his pack-trunk before slinging the pack up onto his back.

"You mean you actually allowed both birds out of your sight completely? I didn't think you ever let them get very far from you," Killua exclaimed with some surprise as they three of them filed out of the guest room.

"Actually, it's very rare for me to keep them as close as I did during the Exam," Harry explained as he paused for a moment to flick his wand back into the room to clean up the feathers, repair the pillows, and make the bed. "I only kept them close to me for the duration of the Hunter's Exam in case there was an emergency and I needed one of them to take an urgent message for me. They also watched my back for me to prevent anyone from sneaking up on me."

The three boys chatted companionably enough after that; with Kalluto asking a string of not quite personal questions of Harry. Killua had asked a few questions of his own as well, including why Harry had overslept for the first time since the two of them had met and why they hadn't been able to wake him up before he'd woken up on his own. Harry had passed his oversleeping off as just being overtired and claimed that he'd been ignoring the two younger boys' efforts to wake him because they'd been annoying. All three boys were laughing and playfully insulting one another when they finally reached the veranda where the rest of the family was waiting for them, including Illumi.

Harry's reaction to Illumi's presence was instantaneous as he went from laughing and joking with the two younger boys to growling and glaring as his magic rose up like a tidal wave around him and filled his irises with molten gold in response to the abrupt return of his fury. The only three things that kept him from launching himself at the older Hunter were Killua's hands latching onto his left arm (the twelve year old protecting Harry from Illumi not Illumi from Harry), the table of food standing between the two of them, and Zeno's calm voice lecturing Illumi.

"And that, my foolish grandson, is why I ordered you to come home immediately when you called four days ago to warn us of the imminent arrival of Killua's friends. You knew the risks involved and you failed to heed my warnings and now you must reap what you have sewn."

"I understand, Grandfather," Illumi murmured with honest contrition and a hint of frustration. Illumi then turned to face Harry and bowed deeply before he sincerely offered, "Please allow me to apologize for my deplorable behavior, Mr. Evans; I had not meant to offend you and therefore disgrace the Zoldyck name."

"I am not the one to whom you owe an apology," Harry quietly countered in a cold voice that shook slightly beneath his efforts to rein in his anger. "The reason that I am furious with you has nothing to do with anything that you have said or done to me. Gon already told you who you needed to apologize to and what you needed to apologize for. I would have made an effort to further drive the point home but for some reason, Kurapika seemed to think there wouldn't be enough of you left to apologize if I was allowed to have my say before we left."

Surprise, disbelief, irritation, frustration, distaste, and resignation flashed across Illumi's face in the blink of an eye and if Harry had not been glaring at the man at the time, then he never would've seen the play of emotions across the normally emotionless man's face. It was the brief glimpse of resignation that cooled Harry's temper just the smallest fraction; resignation meant that the man was going to comply with Harry's and Gon's demand to apologize to his brother.

"Killua, I apologize for the cruel things I said during our match," Illumi stated as he turned towards the pale haired boy, the slight edge to his voice indicating that he found apologizing to his brother distasteful. "I should not have allowed my need to earn my license to drive me to use needless cruelty to force you to back down."

Killua stared at his brother for a long, tense minute before he replied, "I'll accept your apology this time but the next time you threaten to harm one of my friends; I will kill you."

Harry almost shivered at the promise he heard in Killua's voice as he uttered his threat; he'd never heard the twelve year old speak that way with that particular tone before. Instead of focusing on Killua's declaration, Harry turned his attention inwards as he struggled to bring his anger and his magic back under control. It took him a few minutes, but eventually, he was able to calm down; even if he was still in an irritable mood and his eyes remained gold.

The meal remained a rather tense affair with Illumi, Killua, and Harry all trying very hard not to glare at each other. Any time Harry managed to forget that he wasn't supposed to be mad at the other Hunter, Killua would kick him in the ankle beneath the table and Harry would scowl at the twelve year old. Halfway through the meal, Flop dropped down to land on the arm of Harry's chair; the eagle's sudden appearance startling Kikyo and Milluki (the only two people who had not been aware of Harry's feathered companions).

Harry knew it was Flop for two reasons; first, the eagle had dropped down to land on the right side of the chair and second, the eagle was far too exhausted to have flown the short distance between the butler's mansion and the Zoldyck's main residence. Harry fished out a couple of treats for the bird from his mokeskin pouch and fed them to the weary eagle while praising him under his breath before he removed the small bundle of weatherproofed canvas that had been tired to Flop's leg. The entire bundle disappeared into the mokeskin pouch untouched; Harry had no intention of reading his mail in front of perfect strangers (he didn't trust Illumi or Milluki and it would have been rude).

After the meal was finished, Illumi, Milluki, Kikyo, and Kalluto quickly vanished (Kalluto reluctantly following after his mother when she'd ordered him to attend her) leaving Harry alone with Killua, Silva, and Zeno. Harry finally allowed himself to completely relax once Illumi was gone and his eyes bled back to green as his magic withdrew completely into his core once more. He was also at a complete loss as to what he was supposed to do now; his entire reason for coming to Kukuroo Mountain had been to see Killua and make certain he was both healthy and happy and now that he'd done that he didn't know what he should do next.

"Are you going to leave now, James?" Killua demanded out of the blue; his question startling the wizard since the timing made him wonder if the twelve year old could read his mind.

"Tired of me already?" Harry asked in return instead of answering the question.

"Yes, you're annoying."

Harry chuckled unrepentantly as he absently groomed a sleeping Flop's feathers while he considered Killua's original question. After another minute he replied, "I probably should leave soon. The others will be worrying and wondering what happened to me by now and I wanted to arrive at Heaven's Arena early so that I could spend some time watching the other competitors fight in order to get a feel for what will be expected of me once I register."

"Oh? Are you looking to make some easy money or are you looking for fighting experience?" Zeno inquired curiously.

"Easy money…?" Harry parroted in slight confusion.

"You earn prize money for each fight you win with the amount of money you earn varying depending on the floor you are fighting on; the higher the floor number, the more money you are awarded for wins," Silva explained easily. "I'm guessing you were looking for experience since you weren't aware of the prize money."

"Yes; I have very little experience outside of sword fighting in controlled spars on top of having virtually no training in hand to hand combat. The gentleman that offered to train me suggested Heaven's Arena as an ideal training ground because I will be able to get hands on training against a wide variety of opponents using a vast assortment of styles and forms."

"Your trainer is either one sadistic bastard or an idiot," Zeno stated with a slight frown. "How does he expect you to fight in the matches if you don't know how to fight?"

"I am not completely defenseless and while I was never taught a form of martial arts or boxing, I do know that a number of the sword stances and forms that I was taught can be used without a sword. I also had some acrobatic and gymnastic training alongside my swordsmanship lessons and I am very good at dodging. It's mostly just experience that I lack since my sparring partners during my training were either limited to a small handful of crew members or the pathetic would be applicants that failed to pass the captain's test."

"You should have seen James's sword fight against Kurapika during the Final Phase of the Hunter's Exam," Killua added in an excited tone. "It lasted for almost three hours and they were climbing all over the tables and chairs that they had dragged out into the middle of the room and James was doing all of these cool flips and stunts. James's first hit was the coolest; he did a one-handed handstand and blocked both of Kurapika's swords with his bare feet before he tapped Kurapika on the heart with his sword."

"And he did this one really awesome move where he back flipped off of the end of the table and landed with one foot on the seat of a chair and the other on the back. When the chair began tipping over, James spun it around to keep it upright before he flipped it forwards and shoved off at the last second so that the chair rose up and nearly smacked Kurapika in the face. Kurapika busted that chair with his swords to protect himself and then he cursed James for cheating but James just laughed and told him to stop being a whiney wimp."

"Sound like it had been an entertaining match," Silva rumbled with the trace of a laugh.

"That had been the most fun I had throughout the entire Hunter's Exam; not counting the times I was messing around to kill time," Harry murmured with the trace of a blush coloring his cheeks over Killua's glorified summarization of a small part of his match against Kurapika.

"It was so cool," Killua assured his father. The kid then sat up straighter as he got this look in his eyes that Harry just knew would not bode well for him as he asked, "Hey, James; didn't you say that Kurapika was here with Gon and Leorio?"

"Aye."

"Perfect! We can go and meet them down at the butler's mansion and then you can show Father and Grandfather some of your more awesome moves. If we call Gotoh before we head down the mountain, he can have the perfect battlefield set up with all kinds of furniture and stuff too."

"Kurapika might not be interested in sparring…" Harry attempted to point out.

"Pfft, Kurapika would never turned down a chance to spar with you," Killua interjected in a confident tone as he climbed to his feet and dashed off to make the call.

"What a troublesome and pushy little stray he is turning out to be," Harry muttered in a mixture of fond exasperation and resignation.

"He is my most stubborn grandson," Zeno fondly informed Harry between chuckles. "That said, I would like very much to see an exhibition of your skills. I suspect that Killua will either request permission to tag along with you and the others to Heaven's Arena or attempt to sneak out in order to follow you the moment our backs are turned and it would ease my mind to know that at least one of you are capable of watching my grandson's back. My grandson is talented and he has been trained from the moment he was able to walk but he is still young yet and prone to leaping before he looks."

Harry tipped his head slightly to one side before he nodded in understanding over the unspoken message that was hidden in the older man's words; Harry needed to prove that he was capable of protecting Killua in case something happened or Killua would not be stepping foot outside Kukuroo Mountain any time soon. Harry also knew that if he failed to impress both Zeno and Silva with his skills, then he'd be letting down both Gon and Killua; something the teen didn't want to do since he considered both boys his friends.

"I suppose I should be thankful that I at least got a full night's sleep last night," Harry murmured to himself as he let out a sigh and dropped his head back against the back of his chair.

"Gotoh said he'd have everything ready by the time we got there," Killua announced as he bounced back out onto the veranda, latched onto Harry's arm, and attempted to haul the wizard out of his seat just ten minutes later. "Come on… what are you waiting for, James?"

"I'm hoping that I'll wake up any minute now," Harry groused with mock annoyance and an undercurrent of amusement as he allowed Killua to drag him free of his chair while Zeno and Silva both laughed and rose from their chairs to follow the two boys; Killua barely allowing Harry enough time to collect his pack and the dozing Flop before dragging Harry towards the front door.

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**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	20. Scaling x Heaven's x Tower

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Twenty: Scaling x Heaven's x Tower

Harry stared up at the towering skyscraper that housed Heaven's Arena and let out an impressed whistle that had both Flip and Flop perking up until they realized that he's not been giving them a command. Beside him, Killua was telling Gon everything he knew about the popular battle site; including the fact that he'd once made it up to the two hundredth floor. Harry only listened to the two twelve year olds with half an ear, his mind far too busy still trying to figure out exactly how he had managed to impress Silva and Zeno.

At the end of a long hike down the side of the volcano, Harry had discovered that the clearing that doubled as a front yard for the butler's mansion had been converted into an enormous battlefield that looked very much like the deck of a ship complete with a wooden 'deck', several ratlines, a mast with furled sails and full rigging, scattered 'cargo' crates, water barrels (full of water), and a couple of row boats. Just in front of the mansion's porch, a line of chairs had been set up for those that would be watching the spar. The most disturbing factor for Harry was the fact that there was a large contingent of Zoldyck butlers and servants lined up on the porch to watch as well; including the young girl he'd knocked out and the five butlers that had confronted him the night before.

Kurapika had ribbed him something fierce over getting roped into another spar so soon, though it was clear to see that the blond was looking forward to crossing blades with Harry again. Harry had teased him right back as the two of them prepared (Harry taking off his pack, cloak, socks, and boots while Kurapika warmed up a bit). Killua started the match just ten minutes later, and the two teens had sprung into action in a flurry of attacks, blocks, and counter attacks. Time wound back on itself as Harry made full use of the props the Zoldyck butlers had provided; the wizard transported back to the Kaijinmaru before the Exam, before the snake charmer's attacks, and before the nightmares had returned with a vengeance.

Occlumency was a doubled edged sword that made one's nightmares sharper and easier to remember when one failed to come to terms with their darker memories. And sorting and suppressing memories will only work for so long before they come back to haunt their host.

As his most recent memories bleed away, Harry let himself get caught up in the thrill of the spar completely; the burdens he bore as Harry Potter – the wizard had faded away as he once again become James Evans – the part time sailor.

The spar ended some forty minutes later when Harry managed to catch Kurapika by the foot with a rope and strung the blond up from the makeshift mast upside down. It had been the clapping that had brought Harry back to the present at that point and Harry had looked over to see Gon and Killua cheering him on. The wizard smirked and shook his head before he glanced up at the still cursing Kurapika who was swinging gently back and forth as he tried to escape from the rope knotted about his ankle. Harry had taken pity on his sparring partner and dropped him down to the ground several minutes later only to end up trapped in a headlock while Kurapika gave him a noogie in retaliation for leaving him up there so long.

The two of them had been heading over to where the others were sitting in front of the porch when the young girl that Harry had knocked out approached him and requested (more like demanded) that he spar with her next. It soon became apparent that her pride had been injured by her easy defeat at his hands (because he'd cheated with magic, not that she or any of the others knew that). Harry had consented to the spar after a quick glance at his hosts confirmed that they were not opposed to watching him fight one of their servants (more like trained bodyguards slash security guards). The rules were quickly laid out (no lethal or crippling attacks) and a time limit of thirty minutes set (Harry was more than a bit winded from his first spar) before Gon started them this time.

As they tested each other during the first few minutes, looking to get a feel for one another's strength and fighting style (the girl had the advantage of seeing Harry in action), Harry apologized to the girl for knocking her unconscious without giving her a chance to defend herself. He'd then gone on to flirt with her instead of taunting or teasing her like he had Kurapika. He honestly thought she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen and the fact that she was strong, athletic, and so not a fan-girl only served to make her even more appealing in his eyes.

Of course, she'd not taken his flirting very well at first; convinced that he was only flirting with her in order to distract and confuse her. When she accused him of playing games with her head, Harry had adamantly denied it. He'd then gone on to confess that most girls scared him, that he'd only ever been hugged by his best friend who was like a sister to him, and that he'd never even had a girlfriend, let alone kissed a girl. He did admit to dancing with a girl once and to having a crush on another girl but that it had only been one awkward dance and that his crush had turned him down flat. By the time he'd finished revealing his woefully inexperienced love life, he was being teased from the sidelines by Leorio.

The girl had, in turn, told Harry that she that she'd never tolerate a boy who thought her weak just because she was a girl. Harry had replied with a seemingly offhand comment that he had never been attracted to weak, empty-headed girls that obsessed over silly things like their hair, make-up, or fashion. Her response to that had been that she wanted nothing to do with a weak boy that couldn't hold his own in a fight. Harry had laughed softly at the challenge as his training sword blocked her weighted baton with a loud clang and boldly asked for her name while they were standing toe to toe. She'd given it to him and then attempted to clock him upside the head while she requested (still more like demanded) his name in return, which he gladly gave her.

The spar ended just a few minutes later and Harry couldn't resist brushing a light kiss across her knuckles when he shook her hand and thanked her for the spar; making the young lady blush. He was actually mildly surprised that he hadn't been slapped for that, although Gotoh (the head butler) looked like he might like to skin the wizard alive for both flirting with the girl and for kissing her hand. Harry had walked away from that spar with three things; a healthy respect for Canary's fighting skills (his ribs were still sore and undoubtedly bruised if not cracked from when she'd hit him with her baton), grudging respect from most of the butlers for holding his own against one of their numbers (even though she wasn't quite fully trained as of yet), and Canary's permission to write to her.

He'd also impressed Zeno and Silva enough that they were willing to entrust Killua's wellbeing to him and that was in addition to giving their approval for his continued association with Canary. (They hoped that a romantic bond with one of their servants on top of his friendship with Killua would increase the chances that they could secure a formal alliance with him in order to prevent a repeat of Harry storming their gates in a fury; not that Harry was aware of that).

The five adolescents had left Kukuroo Mountain shortly after that and headed straight for Heaven's Arena. Harry ended up sleeping through the limousine ride from the Zoldyck's Estate back to the small city where the four would be rescuers had boarded the tour bus that had taken them up to the estate. He was thankfully tired enough due to the hike down the volcano and the two intense spars that he did not dream during the long nap. The five of them had then boarded the train and returned to the airport in order to catch the first available flight to Heaven's Tower.

Harry would spend the remainder of their eighteen hour journey split between sleeping and meditating in the hopes of regaining the peace he'd lost after the incident with the snake charmer's mindless creations and pets. By the time they landed outside of the metropolis where the famous battle tower was located, Harry was feeling far more relaxed and far more in control of himself than he had been in weeks. Kurapika and Leorio escorted the three shorter and younger boys to the Heaven's Arena, after stopping at a local café to grab an early supper, before they split up to go their separate ways; Leorio to med school and Kurapika to return to his hunt for the Phantom Troupe. Before the two older boys had left, all five of them made promises to meet back up in Yorknew City on the first of September.

Harry was pulled out of his silent reflections when Gon and Killua each grabbed hold of an arm and dragged him towards the entrance to the Heaven's Arena. Just before he stepped inside the building, Harry sent Flip and Flop off to scout the city since he didn't know how well their presence would be received inside of the tower. The rest of the afternoon and most of the evening had then been spent watching several fights that had taken place on the first floor of the tower. The trio was kicked out of the tower around closing time (since they hadn't registered as fighters) and Harry led the two younger boys towards the nearest hotel where he booked the three of them a single room with two beds for two nights.

The wizard set up his tent the moment they reached their room, ducked inside to call Dobby (for Killua's donuts and for replies to his letters), and took a much needed shower. He'd then returned to the hotel room bearing a dozen letters and one box of donuts (the wizard in no mood to have two hyper twelve year olds bouncing off the walls all night). While the two boys were snacking on sweets, Harry read the letter from the Kaijinmaru first and ended up reading more than half of it out loud to Gon and Killua after he'd burst out laughing the fourth or fifth time. Apparently, Flop had spent the entire two day wait on the ship pranking the crew and the seagulls until Harry's reply had been finished.

The news from the wizarding world was no where near as amusing or as pleasant. Dumbledore, Voldemort, and the Ministry were all still tearing Britain apart looking for any traces of where Harry had gone to ground. Sirius and Remus were hiding out in Sirius's childhood home under a Fidelius Charm while pretending to be frantic with worry and 'helping' Dumbledore scour the countryside for Harry. Bill, in the mean time, ran interference between Dumbledore's group and Gringotts to keep the corrupt wizard from getting his hands on Harry's considerable wealth and to keep his identity as Harry's new regent from becoming public knowledge (for his own health and safety).

Things were a mess up at the school as well with the Ministry and Voldemort both trying to influence the students and wrest control of the castle from Dumbledore. Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Neville had formed up a smaller fourth faction in the 'war' as they tried to undermine everyone's efforts; drawing a number of the other students to their side by sharing Harry's letters with them (to let the other students know that Harry had not ran away in shame like the smear campaign against him claimed he had) and helping them get the training they needed under the noses of the other three factions. Fred and George had also continued to develop a number of innovative pranks that annoyed and amused those stuck in the castle (those being caught in the pranks ended up annoyed while everyone else was amused).

Harry probably would have spent the rest of the night brooding if not for Killua challenging him to a rematch to see who could hold down the grossest flavor combinations. The addition of Gon to the competition made it even more challenging as the extra flavor per turn proved to be dangerously and disgustingly effective in bringing about even more horrifying flavor combinations. All three boys had had a lot of fun that night but it was obvious that Gon and Killua had the most fun; the two boys happy to be together once more.

The next day, the trio was back at Heaven's Arena to watch a number of fights on different floors so that Harry and Gon could see the difference between those matches that take place on the lower first hundred floors and those that take place on the second one hundred floors. Lunch and the first half of the afternoon was then spent at a tiny little park that Flip and Flop had discovered while they were scouting the city; Gon and Killua burning off their excess energy while Harry kept an eye on them and did his training exercises (something he'd not done in over a week). The boys then returned to the Heaven's Arena to watch another round of matches before they returned to their hotel room for supper and sleep.

All three boys were up bright and early the next morning in order to check out of their hotel room and meet up with Bodoro. There was a brief moment of tenseness between Killua and Bodoro but it vanished when Killua apologized for attacking the man. The first half of the morning was then spent at the same park they'd played at the day before as Bodoro sparred with Harry in order to see where he currently stood while Gon and Killua heckled him endlessly. And while Harry was fairly bad without his sword he was not horrible since he'd been taught to use his hands and feet alongside of his sword.

Bodoro then spent the rest of the morning teaching Harry a handful of katas that expanded upon a number of the sword stances he was familiar with. The man was relentless in drilling the correct forms of each kata; correcting even the smallest mistakes that Harry made as he instructed the teen to do each kata over and over again. They took a small break for lunch around noon to give Harry a chance to catch his second wind before they returned to the park where Bodoro tested Harry on how much he'd retained of the morning's instruction. And while Harry didn't automatically start fighting like a master, he did show a respectable amount of improvement during that second spar.

The man had then taken Harry back to Heaven's Arena and thrown him to the wolves, so to speak; signing the teen up for one of the more challenging fight programs (one that required the participants to win five battles in a single day in order to move up one floor level). Killua and Gon both signed up for the same program after a whispered discussion; the two boys wanted to stick close to Harry and both of them had calculated that they could earn more money if they fought in more fights per day than if they just rose up through the floors as fast as they could. (Though the money awarded per fight won was only one-third what a fighter earned in the standard program – that still left them earning two-thirds more than what they would have if they'd signed up for one of the other programs).

The next two weeks would be brutal for the magical Hunter. Each morning, Bodoro would have him up at four in the morning in order for him to do his morning training and exercises (including his sword stances). Once he finished with those, he'd eat a light breakfast before Bodoro would spend the next six hours endlessly drilling the teen on his katas; adding between two and five new katas and stances each morning (the number added dependant on the difficulty level involved and how quickly Harry learned each one) in order to increase the number of blocks and attacks Harry could use and to quickly build a fighting style for the teen.

A light lunch and an hour rest would follow before Harry would fight between five and ten matches at Haven's Arena (the number of matches depending upon how many losses he took before he earned the requisite five wins to move up a floor). Those fights were used to fine tune Harry's fighting style; giving him hands on experience that allowed him to figure out which katas, forms, and stances best worked for him and which ones would leave him wide open to take a hit in return. Once he'd finished his last fight (whether or not he'd moved up a floor or not), the group would return to the house that Bodoro had leased for the next three months to eat supper and review Harry's fights (which Bodoro had taped).

Every little mistake that Harry made during each of the fights he participated in each day was pointed out and the fighting styles of his opponents dissected so that Harry could learn how to recognize the different styles that were being used against him. The ability to analyze his opponent's style as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses was just as important as his physical training since it would allow him to fight more effectively. Harry took the harsh criticism in stride each evening; the teen far too used to Snape's cutting vitriol and his aunt and uncle's biting cruelty to take offense to the constructive criticism that Bodoro (and in some cases Killua) directed at him in order to help him improve (rather than just cut him down like Snape and his relatives).

Once he was released for the night from his physical and self-defense training, Harry would disappear into his tent for two hours in order to work on his magical training (something he'd spent even less time on since he'd stepped off of the Kaijinmaru). He was currently finishing up his preparations for his O.W.L.s, working on shoring up his mental defenses, and attempting to discover his inner nature so that he could finally start working on the animagus transformation. That was on top of him practicing his spell casting; both with and without a wand and with and without spoken incantations.

If not for the six months of training that Jacob and Gunter had put him through aboard the Kaijinmaru, Harry would have never lasted a single day let alone a full two weeks under the harsh training and fighting schedule. After the first two days, Bodoro even began including Gon and Killua in the lessons; though Killua didn't really need the lessons as much as Gon and Harry did since Killua had been trained as an assassin from the moment he'd taken his first step. By the end of those first two weeks, Harry had moved up to the tenth floor and had improved to the point where he only lost one in fifteen fights.

Gon and Killua spaced their fights out so that they were always on the same floor as Harry; the two boys surprisingly never loosing a single fight as they typically took their opponents down with a single blow (Killua knocking his foes unconscious with a blow to the back of the neck and Gon managing to push his adversaries out of the ring with a single palm strike to the stomach or chest). Harry would have envied the two twelve year olds for the ease with which they won their matches if not for the fact that he knew Killua had years of training under his belt and that Gon had his superhuman strength; and that was on top of both boys joining the wizard in his training.

It also helped that Harry could easily see how much he'd improved over that short amount of time.

The second two weeks at the Heaven's Arena saw Harry and the other two moving up between two and three floors per day with Harry fighting between fifteen and seventeen fights per day. His training was also stepped up to include throws on top of his kicks, punches, and blocks. Harry picked up the different types of throws far faster than he'd picked up the transitional katas that built upon his sword stances. His favorite was a rolling throw; he'd grab his opponent by the wrist or shirt, drop backwards onto the floor and bring his opponent down with him using his weight, catch the other person on his feet (keeping his knees and legs tucked in close to his body), and roll backwards as he thrust his legs out to throw the person over the back of his head before he completed the roll to end up on his feet once more.

Harry got so good at doing the rolling throw that he could easily throw a man that weighed between three and four times heavier than him by using precise timing and the other person's downward momentum and weight to aide in the throw. Once mastered, that one throw would also net him a guaranteed one hit knockout; he just had to catch hold of his opponent in order to use it (a feat that grew harder once people figured out that they needed to avoid letting him grab their wrists or clothes). By the end of the fourth week of Harry's training, he'd reached level forty-five on top of increasing his speed, stamina, and endurance and increasing his loss to win ratio from one in fifteen to one in thirty.

At that point, Bodoro told Harry that he had to reach the one hundredth floor by the end of February in order to move onto the next level of training; giving the wizard a total of seven days to complete the challenge. That meant that he had to move up at least eight floors per day in order to reach the correct floor; which would require a minimum of forty fights per day. Harry rose to meet the challenge head on; using every trick he had in his arsenal (bar magic) to win his fights in the shortest amount of time possible so that he didn't run out of time before he could collect the needed number of wins each day. Gon and Killua rose through the floors right beside him; the two twelve year olds cheering and egging the wizard on in turns.

The trio's rapid rise through the floors during those seven days (without skipping a single floor level) would garner quite a bit of attention from the other fighters and from the throngs of people that came to watch the fights and bet on the outcomes of each fight. Bodoro would make a killing gamboling during those seven days; the older Hunter bet almost exclusively on Harry's fights since he was given better odds due to the occasional match he still lost while Killua and Gon were guaranteed wins with low odds because they didn't have a single loss on their records. All three boys also invested a quarter of their prize money in betting; the three boys giving the money to Bodoro so he could place the bets for them and allowing the older man to take a reasonable cut of the winnings for being their front man.

In addition to the challenge of moving up at least eight floors per day, the trio was holding several private competitions between the three of them.

The first was to see who could rack up the most wins in the shortest amount of time with both twelve year olds in the lead against Harry. The next competition was to see who could come up with the most creative win in the shortest amount of time and so far Harry was winning that one due to his acrobatics and gymnastics training. After that, they were competing to see who could come up with the most creative insult to drive their opponent into a rage in order to make them make a stupid mistake for an easy win and all three boys were neck and neck in that one. The final competition was to see who could get the crowds riled up the most and there was no clear winner as the crowds always went wild when any one of them fought.

It was inevitable that the three of them would eventually face one another in the ring and the first two to face each other were Gon and Killua on the morning of the twenty-fifth. Harry wasn't surprised when the two twelve year olds ended up knocking each other out for a draw instead of one of them gaining a win; which also meant that neither one of them lost their perfect record. Harry would face Killua later that afternoon and their fight lasted for twenty minutes before Killua managed to slip under Harry's guard and knock him out (that loss would also see Harry ending the day one floor short of his eight floors as he'd missed getting his final three wins to move up an eighth floor). Harry's fight with Gon took place first thing the next morning and didn't last quite as long since Harry managed to throw the younger boy out of the ring for the knockout; though Harry would walk away from that fight with more than a few bruises from Gon's punches.

Later that night, Killua confronted the wizard about the fight as he demanded, "Did you purposefully throw the match yesterday afternoon so that I would win?"

"Hell no," Harry countered with a frown. "Why would you think that?"

"You easily stopped me when I was trapped in a killing rage and yet you weren't able to beat me in a regular spar. How is that even possible? You should have been able to wipe the floor with me out there; just like you did with Gon this morning."

"I didn't 'wipe the floor' with Gon; he beat me black and blue from neck to knee with them damn punches of his. Gon's fighting style is completely different than yours though and I was able to use his tendency to rush in headfirst against him in order to catch hold of him long enough to throw him out of the ring," Harry explained as he focused on the angry twelve year old. "You move too damn fast and because we are closer to being the same weight, I can't use your weight against you like I can with Gon; because he weighs a good two or three stones more than we do. There's also the fact that you've been training for years while Gon and I both are pretty much completely new to fighting and self defense."

"Then how were you able to stop me from killing Bodoro?" Killua asked in honest confusion.

"I was angry, desperate, and determined to stop you; I focused on nothing outside of stopping you in any way I could that day. I really don't know how I kept up with you that day; I just knew that I had to."

"And the way you knocked me out?"

"An old family secret that I learned after I learned the truth about who my parents were," Harry replied honestly; the wizarding world was a secret from all of those not born to magic after all and he didn't learn how to cast spells until after he learned that his parents were a witch and a wizard.

"So you really didn't throw the match yesterday?"

"No, I didn't; you slipped in under my guard and beat me fair and square. Just don't let it go to your head, my little stray; I won't make the same mistake twice."

"Ha! As if," Killua crowed in return as he blew a raspberry at Harry. "All those nasty flavored beans have been frying your brain and you'll never beat me now!"

"Pfft, you don't have any room to talk, Mr. I-Eat-So-Many-Donuts-I-Have-Sugar-For-Blood. The only reason you're so fast is because you're running on pure sugar and all I have to do is withhold the donuts for a day and you'll be crawling on the floor begging for mercy while suffering from sugar withdrawals."

"Oh, that does it! You are so going down right now, bean-brain."

Killua caught Harry in a flying tackle at that point and the two of them grappled about on the floor tickling one another and trying to prevent themselves from being tickled in return. Gon joined in the tussle a heartbeat later and the three of them spent well over an hour wrestling, tickling, and laughing as they roughhoused until Bodoro called them for supper. After the meal, the four of them would sit down to review a handful of their fights; Bodoro had long since given up recording each and every match due to the sheer volume of matches the three boys participated in over the course of a single day.

The next day saw them back in the tower facing their next forty battles as the odds on all three boys shifted minutely in response to their matches against one another. There were only three days remaining until the deadline now and all three boys had managed to stay on target with their forty wins per day (that was including the one day Harry was short one floor). Unknown to the three young fighters, their progress had caught the attention of the man that would take their training in an entirely unexpected direction.

Or more specifically, Gon and Harry had caught the man's attention as he shared something in common with those two; he too was a Hunter. And he'd been sent to evaluate their progress and determine if they had what it takes to pass the hidden portion of the Hunter's Exam.

By the time Harry won his fortieth fight on the twenty-ninth, he was feeling battered and bruised in places he didn't know could be bruised and physically exhausted beyond words. He was also feeling rather proud of himself because he'd beat the challenge that Bodoro had set for him; he'd moved up fifty-five floors in seven days. He would have made it up to floor one-oh-one if not for his loss to Killua knocking him out like a light for the rest of the afternoon on the day they fought one another; meaning that he'd missed his chance to collect his final three wins for the promotion but Harry was content with the way things turned out.

Bodoro took all three boys out that night for a celebratory dinner; and the older Hunter confessed that he'd fully expected them to fall short of the fifty-five floors they'd needed to reach the one hundredth floor. He'd only intended to push them into surpassing their limits and hadn't expected them to breeze past those limits as if they didn't exist. The man then revealed that he was going to teach Harry flying kicks and standing high jumps (which would draw upon his acrobatics and gymnastics training even more than anything he'd taught him previously) as well as introduce him to weighted training in order to increase his speed even further.

It was at that point that Harry revealed to his three companions that the arm bracers he always wore and the practice sword that he sparred with were weighted. He'd been diligently adding one pound a week to his arm bracers since he'd first started wearing them (the weight currently up to thirty-three pounds on each arm) and two and a half pounds to his practice sword every other week. The only reason the added weight hadn't been noticeable was due to Harry using magic to create tiny pockets around the inside of the bracer that would hold up to ten weighted bars (depending on their size). Not that he revealed that bit about magic to his companions.

He'd done the same thing to the sword but there was only one pocket that had been created when he'd removed the original steel core of the sword. The compartment in the sword was accessed through the hilt of the wooden blade and had more than enough room to hold the original steel core in addition to the weighted rods he used to increase the weight every two weeks. The original weighted sword weighed no more than ten pounds and in the four months since he'd first started using it, he'd added another fifteen pounds of weight bringing the total weight of the sword up to twenty-five pounds; which was a good ten pounds heavier than Gryffindor's sword.

Bodoro had been pleased to learn that Harry was familiar with the concept of weighted training and the man expanded upon the training by setting up the teen with five pound ankle weights. He also advised Harry to start working on training for an hour a day without his arm weights in order to get used to functioning without them (in case he ever lost them in the middle of a fight) and using the standard practice sword (which weighed less than five pounds) so he could use a lighter blade without throwing his form off.

It was training that Harry learned he desperately needed as he discovered he was extra clumsy without the weighted bracers on his arms due to him overestimating how much weight he was moving (his muscles long used to compensating for those extra thirty-some pounds on each arm). He'd also take to practicing with wearing just one of the bracers on; in order to learn how to compensate for the feeling of being off-balanced in the event that he lost only one bracer during a fight.

The wizard managed to keep his sanity in tact through the rough month with the frequent letters that he exchanged with the Kaijinmaru's crew, Canary, and his friends back home. Harry really enjoyed getting to know the vivacious apprentice butler through her letters as it allowed them to avoid those awkward moments that most young teens experienced when faced with their latest crush. It didn't take him long to find out that she was intelligent, sneaky, snarky, and above all devoted to the Zoldyck family but most especially to Killua and Kalluto.

She was also a closet prankster with a slightly warped sense of humor that pretty much matched Harry's.

And he was well and truly smitten with the girl long before the end of that first month.

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**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	21. Nen x vs x Magic

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Twenty-One: Nen x vs. x Magic

Harry was attempting to get used to the new ankle weights he was wearing when Flop honked out a warning as the park their small group had claimed for a training ground was invaded by two individuals. The first person was familiar to the entire group; a short, stocky kid with close cut brown hair, bushy eyebrows, and light brown eyes wearing a traditional martial arts gi over a dark gray turtle neck and blue shoes. The four of them had seen the kid rising up through the floors in leaps as bounds as he took the fast track fight schedule that allowed fighters to skip floors depending on the level of skill they displayed during each match while each loss would see them dropping back down several floors.

With him was a rather sloppily dressed man that looked like your typical nerd or geek with his messy hair, large glasses, and scrawny appearance. The moment Harry saw the man, he stiffened as he saw through the man's rather unassuming appearance and immediately recognized him as the potentially powerful threat that he represented. Placing himself firmly between the man and the two twelve year olds, Harry dropped his right hand to the hilt of his practice sword and unconsciously fell into a defensive stance.

"I apologize for interrupting your training," the man declared as he bowed towards the group. "My student wished to meet the other children that are taking the Heaven's Arena Challenge in the hopes of making new friends that were near his age but the only time we've ever seen you in the tower was when you were fighting and we did not wish to disrupt your schedule. When you didn't make an appearance for any matches this morning, I assumed that you were taking a break to recover from the rather impressive run of fights you fought over the past seven days and I figured that this would be the best opportunity to seek you out."

"Hi, I'm Zushi; I'm ten years old," the boy stated as he jumped in front of his teacher to grin up at Harry as he thrust out his hand. "I was so excited to learn that I wasn't the only kid here."

"Nice to meet you, runt, but the brats you are looking to meet are standing behind me; I'm just the all important provider of fresh donuts," Harry replied dryly as he dropped his hand away from the hilt of his sword and stepped to one side as he jerked his thumb towards Gon and Killua; the wizard had sensed the kid was not a threat even if his teacher was.

"The donuts are very important," Killua solemnly agreed.

"They're tasty too," Gon added with a laugh.

"I don't understand… aren't you the same age as them?" Zushi inquired as his brow crinkled in confusion while his gaze bounced back and forth between Harry and the other two boys.

Harry snorted in exasperation as he crossed his arms and muttered, "No, I'll be eighteen in a few months."

"Really…? But you're so short…"

"Zushi! Don't be rude," the man chided as he stepped up and lightly whacked Zushi on the back of his head. "Allow me to apologize on behalf of my student; he is young yet and has not learned to filter his thoughts before he speaks them out loud. By the way, my name is Wing; might I know your name?"

"It's James," Harry replied as he accepted the hand the man held out to him and boldly met the man's gaze. "The two donut fiends behind me are Gon and Killua and the gentleman standing behind you is my trainer, Bodoro."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet all four of you."

"I'd say it was my pleasure as well but I dislike it when someone lies to me and attempts to manipulate me for their own purposes," Harry replied tightly as he tightened his hold on Wing's hand and scowled at the man. "You could have easily approached us at any point between fights if all you wanted was to introduce yourself. There's also the fact that you would have had to have been following us or had someone else follow us in order to know that we used this park for our training; otherwise it would have taken you far longer to track us down."

"I was warned about your extraordinary perceptiveness and dislike for tricks but I thought Chairman Netero and the others were pulling my leg, Mr. Evans," Wing admitted with a self depreciating smile. "Though, in my defense, I did not lie to you about wanting to meet you and your companions; that just wasn't my only reason for approaching you."

"You are a Hunter," Killua stated in surprise.

"Correct. Normally, I would not introduce myself as such," Wing replied as he retracted his hand from Harry's now slack grip. "However, because Mr. Evans was with your group, I was advised to be up front about my reasons for seeking the three of you out. I disregarded the stories I had heard though and allowed my judgment to be clouded by Mr. Evans's short stature which resulted in me seeing him as yet another child instead of the young adult he is. My apologies, Mr. Evans; I did not mean to mislead you or make you think I meant you or your two charges harm. I am here to administer the hidden Hunter's Exam for James Evans and Gon Freecss."

"What about Bodoro?" Harry asked as he frowned and glanced towards the older man.

"He's already passed the hidden exam," Wing revealed as he pushed his glasses back up into place.

"And the others, have they passed too?" Gon inquired eagerly.

"Illumi and Hisoka have both passed; as they, like Bodoro, were already skilled in the use of the ability for which we are testing. The rest of those who passed the Exam are being met by the Hunter that will be testing and, if necessary, training them."

"What are you testing them for?" Killua half demanded out of curiosity.

"Their ability to harness their aura in order to use Nen," Wing answered as he briefly glanced at the pale twelve year old before returning his attention to Harry. "All Hunters are required to be able to use Nen in order to protect themselves and to capture the criminals and wild beasts that we hunt."

"What exactly is an aura?" Gon queried as he moved up to stand directly beside Harry.

"Aura is the life energy that flows through all living things; including plants and animals. We refer to the aura and a person's ability to use or manipulate their aura as Nen. The four major principles of Nen are Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu. Ten is used to defend oneself against the aura attacks of another Nen user but it is useless against physical attacks. Zetsu refers to one's ability to suppress their aura completely in order to hide their presence from another and also leaves one completely defenseless against even the weakest aura attack."

"Ren allows you to use your aura to attack another or enhance your body to make you stronger or faster. And finally, Hatsu is the ability to use your aura to carry out your will; though how you use your aura greatly depends upon the type of Nen you have. There are six different types of Nen users and they are; Enhancer, Transmuter, Conjurer, Emitter, Manipulator, and Specialist. And while it is possible to develop abilities outside of your basic type, those abilities will always be weaker and focusing on those types of attacks will limit one's ability to reach their full potential."

Harry frowned and took several steps backwards as a knot of worry settled in his stomach as he immediately realized that the ability the man was speaking about wasn't all that different than what he could do with his magic. He was also confused because he distinctly recalled Chairman Netero stating that he was the only wizard currently in possession of a Hunter's License and yet the man standing in front of him was claiming that all Hunters could use an ability that sound suspiciously like magic. Shaking his head, Harry backed up several more steps and turned his body sideways as he rose up onto the balls of his feet as his instincts screamed at him to run.

The only reason he was still standing there was because of the need he felt to protect both Gon and Killua. There was also part of him that knew that if Wing was a wizard, then Harry would need to lead him away from the two twelve year olds because they would never stand a chance against magic user that was determined to do them harm. After a slight hesitation, Harry withdrew his wand from his left bracer and mentally prepared himself to shield the two younger boys; his eyes glittering with specks of gold as his magic surged up to flood his veins with power.

Wing continued to explain the dangers inherent in using Nen while Harry was silently working himself into a panic. The man cut off mid-lecture the moment Harry's magic rose in response to his agitated state and jerked his head to look at the wizard in surprise as he mumbled to himself, "So, Mizuken was correct in that as well; someone has partially trained you to use Nen. Whoever it was that introduced you to the principles of Nen failed to fully open your aura nodes though; unless you've been attempting to open them on your own through meditation."

"I will give you one chance to tell me who you really are and what it is you really want before I turn your insides into your outsides and scatter your bones across the back alleys of the city for the local stray dog population," Harry growled as he tightened his hold on his wand and switched mental gears as he focused on casting a Stunning Spell instead of a Shield Spell.

"One moment," Wing replied as he began patting himself down as if he was looking for something. "Now, where did I put it…?" Zushi let out an explosive sigh at this point before he pulled a letter out of his pocket and cleared his throat to get his teacher's attention. "Oh, there it is; I forgot I'd asked you to hold onto that for me. Thank you, Zushi." Wing then returned his attention to Harry as he added, "Zushi is holding a letter to you from Chairman Netero that will confirm that everything I have told you up to this point is the truth."

"Don't move from that spot," Harry ordered when Zushi made to approach him with the letter. "Now, hold the letter up in the air above your head and hold perfectly still."

Harry then let out a long, low whistle that rose in both pitch and volume, switched his wand to his left hand, and raised his right arm up into the air before he snapped it straight out to point as Zushi who began shaking like a leaf after Harry pointed at him as he held the letter up as requested. Flop launched himself from his perch in response to the silent order and snatched the letter from Zushi's hand as he flew right over top of the boy (smacking him on the head with his wings on the down stroke he was so close); making the ten year old cry out and drop to the ground in shock. The eagle let out a screeching honk that sounded suspiciously like laughter as he glided down to land on Harry's outstretched arm with the letter clasped tightly in one foot.

"Cheeky little menace," Harry chided in a tone that was filled with an equal mixture of amusement, exasperation, and fondness as he took the letter from the eagle; noting that it was addressed to him in familiar handwriting. "I told you to fetch the letter; not take thirty years off the kid's life by scaring the piss out of him. I suppose I should just be thankful that you didn't prank him on top of scaring him. Here, take your treat and get back to your post, Flop."

As the eagle took flight again, a Hawker's Treat clamped firmly in his beak, Harry switched his wand back into his right hand and leveled it on Wing once more as he used his teeth to rip open the corner of the envelope and retrieve the letter inside. A sharp flick of his wrist unfolded the letter and Harry turned so that he could keep one eye on Wing and Zushi while he read through the short letter.

_James, _

_If you are reading this letter, then Wing did not take my advice to approach you openly  
and you have undoubtedly just threatened him with something that would have sounded  
creatively painful. Please do not irreversibly harm Wing; he is one of my more trustworthy  
Hunters. _

_That said; you can trust him not to lie to you even if he does tend to test people by giving  
them only a partial truth. He will also not harm you or any of your companions; you have  
my word. He is there to teach you how to use Nen to protect yourself from other Nen users  
as well as how to fight using Nen. _

_If his explanation on Nen sounds suspiciously like another method of harnessing your life  
force that you have already learned; that is because the concept is the same in principle.  
The difference is that anyone can be trained to use Nen while not everyone can be trained to  
use their aura like you, your parents, and your friends have learned to use it. _

_Should you wish for more information on the differences between the two methods, I would  
be more than happy to answer your questions and give you the same explanation that  
Gregory gave me when I asked him about the similarities. That is a conversation that would  
be best held face to face or through a more secure method of communication than through  
letters or over the phone, though. _

_Now, please apologize to Wing for threatening him and inform him that I expect him to pay  
up the next time I see him._

_Chairman Isaac Netero_

Harry pursed his lips for a moment before he let his shoulders sag and slipped his wand back into his bracer. He then refolded the letter, stuffed it back into the envelope, and tucked it into his mokeskin pouch before he glanced up to lightly scowl at Wing for a moment. Letting out a sigh that was half frustration and half relief, Harry slowly retraced the steps he'd taken when he'd distanced himself from the others (his magic slowly withdrawing back into his core with each step he took) before he addressed the slightly nervous man.

"I owe you an apology for threatening you, sir," Harry quietly stated once he was standing beside Gon once more. "I was also told to tell you that Chairman Netero is expecting you to pay up the next time you see him."

"I should have known better than to bet against the old brick wall," Wing muttered under his breath before he smiled at Harry and continued in a louder voice, "You don't need to apologize; I shouldn't have tried to gain your trust with a half truth. Bodoro, how quickly do you plan to push the boys up to the two hundredth floor?"

"I had planned to have them take things easy for the next week in order to allow them to rest after their rapid climb over the past seven days and then the rest would be up to them. If they continued at their former pace, they could easily reach the two hundredth floor before the end of the month; after all, they'd only need to move up three or four floors per day to clear all one hundred floors by the end of the month."

"I see," Wing murmured with a slight frown. "I had hoped that I would have more time to guide them through the process of opening their aura nodes with meditation but there is no telling how long it will take each of them to succeed and they will need every minute of Nen training they can squeeze in before they actually reach the two hundredth floor. The four of you had better come with us to my home so that I can give them a more in depth explanation before I awaken the three boys."

Half an hour later, Harry was standing between Gon and Killua in front of a whiteboard listening to Wing giving a far more in depth lecture on the two versions of Nen using hand drawn diagrams (the first type being more along the lines of meditation and strengthening one's mind and willpower and the second involving the manipulation of one's aura). The man then gave a brief demonstration that ended up with Gon paralyzed in fear beside Harry and Killua tucked up in the corner of the ceiling trembling in fear. Harry had felt the air grow heavy and cold; the feeling had sharply reminded him of the dementors and he'd drawn on his magic in preparation of casting a wandless patronus charm (even though he hadn't completely mastered that spell wandlessly) only for the feeling to vanish a heartbeat later.

The next demonstration Wing had given was to pepper the wall with a handful of confetti that he'd turned into deadly projectiles using his Hatsu. He'd then gone on to explain that every person had a small amount of life energy but that most people discharged that energy over their lifetime. After that, Wing explained the dangers of facing a Nen user when you didn't know how to defend yourself against their Nen based attacks and how Ren could be used to kill or maim those that had no protection against it. His third demonstration involved focusing an attack on the wall that created a huge crater in the wall with nothing more than a burst of Ren while stating that that same force could crush a human.

Wing then went into the details of the two methods used to awaken an individual's ability to use Nen. The man's dire proclamations about what could happen to a person if they were forcefully awakened by someone with ill intent had both Gon and Killua nervous but Harry wasn't quite paying full attention to the man; the wizard's focus almost entirely on the damaged wall behind Wing. When Wing revealed that he was going to force their aura nodes open, Gon and Killua were a little hesitant but willing to go through with the process while Harry simply shrugged his shoulders to indicate he didn't care (the wizard still not really paying close attention).

Wing had then directed Gon and Killua to remove their outer shirts and turn their backs to him as he prepared to shock their bodies into opening their aura nodes.

While the three of them were doing that (with Zushi and Bodoro watching the process from the couch), Harry stepped up to the wall and set his hand on the damaged portion. His head tilted to one side in contemplation as he sought to 'feel' the traces of aura that remained behind by focusing on pouring raw magic into the wall through the contact with his hand. When his magic came into contact with Wing's aura, his magic would bounce back at him with the information that the aura was weak and barely there in comparison to his own magic (the process similar to sonar or echolocation but at the same time completely different).

Harry scowled as he tried to equate the weak 'magic' he sensed clinging to the wall with the powerful aura he'd felt the man exude earlier and the sheer power he'd sensed from the man the moment he'd seen him. He also couldn't figure out how something so weak magically could have damaged the wall to the extent that it had and the inconsistency was starting to frustrate him. Completely forgetting that he wasn't alone, Harry closed his eyes as he focused on those thin 'threads' of Wing's aura in order to pull them to him so he could study them better only for them to burn away the moment they came into direct contact with his magic.

He was still pondering the oddities when he absently used a silent and wandless _Reparo_ to fix the wall in a last ditch effort to capture a single thread of Wing's so called Nen.

Several gasps rang out as the crater in the wall was repaired in a rippling wave that started beneath Harry's hand with the broken pieces from the floor rolling up the wall and back into their proper places; the sudden sounds reminding Harry that he had an audience. Harry opened his eyes and stared at the pristine wall in horror as he realized that he'd just used magic in front of five muggles (though he was no longer certain they could be classified as strictly muggles given the fact that they could use their life force in nearly the same way Harry used his magic). Swallowing thickly, Harry let his hand drop away from the wall as he slowly turned around to face the others who were all flicking their gazes between the newly repaired wall and the now pale wizard.

"What did you…? How did you…?" Wing attempted to ask as he practically tripped over his words. "I've never before seen Nen used in quite that way; how is it possible for you to use Hatsu without your nodes being fully opened?"

"It's an old family trick that I learned a while ago," Harry temporized as he wiped all emotion from his face. "Please don't ask me anything more because I am not allowed to speak of my family techniques to outsiders. Technically, I'm not supposed to use them in front of outsiders either but I have a tendency to forget that little detail until after I've already performed one of the techniques. I'm still not used to following the traditions of a family that I didn't know existed for the majority of my life."

"My apologies, Mr. Evans; I did not mean to make you uncomfortable with my questions. I will do my best to curb my curiosity over your family secrets in the future."

"It's alright; you didn't know. And you don't have to keep calling me Mr. Evans; you can just call me James."

Wing inclined his head in response to Harry's rejoinder before he clapped his hands together and proceeded to make a huge miscalculation as he prepared to do that which he'd been expressly told not to do. Unfortunately, he had forgotten about the warning that Chairman Netero had given him long before he'd witnessed Harry's stunt with the wall and so he was unaware of his impending mistake as he stated, "Okay, I guess that means that it is time to finish what I started. Go ahead and take off your pack and jacket before you turn your back to me, James; so that I can fully open your aura nodes."

Harry blinked in confusion, only now realizing just how much he'd missed when he'd zoned out earlier. He quickly shoved that puzzlement aside so as not to reveal just how little attention he'd been paying to the lecture as he removed the requested items and set them off to one side. He then positioned himself in front of Wing before turning around so he was facing the newly repaired wall as he wondered exactly what was supposed to be happening. A brief glance over his shoulder at Killua and Gon showed them to be meditating in a relaxed standing stance that gave him absolutely no clue as to what he could expect.

He sensed more than felt the man reach out with one hand to almost touch his back and he tensed up slightly; still more than a little uncomfortable with people he didn't know very well touching him. He took a couple of deep breaths in order to calm his nerves as he once again felt the heavy aura of ice building up behind him. Seconds later, he felt an incredible rush of biting ice wash over and through him and he threw himself forward and away from the frozen touch as he let out a sharp cry of shock. At the same time, his magic rushed up from the depths of his core in a mighty wave of molten heat to wash away the chill that had taken hold of him.

After the icy feeling vanished, instead of stopping just beneath his skin like it normally did (bar the times he was casting spells with or without his wand or leaking magic while emotional), his magic, raw and unfiltered, flowed out of his body and wrapped around him in a visibly volatile aura of gold fire that continued to rapidly expand. Harry could literally feel his magic rushing out and away from him as he stared wild-eyed at the un-burning yet searing wildfire that his magic had become and he began to hyperventilate when he realized the flow of magic was not slowing down or stopping.

"Concentrate, James; you need to stop panicking and focus on bringing the flow of your aura under control," Wing urgently ordered from just a few feet behind him.

Harry glanced back over his shoulder, revealing completely gold eyes that shimmered and glowed with pure power (the whites of his eyes, his pupils, and his irises filled with a flood of magic). The wizard's brow furrowed in confusion when the man flinched back away from him but he soon ignored the man's reaction in favor of following the spoken command he'd been given. He then closed his eyes, forcefully brought his breathing back under his control, and sat down on the floor with his legs crossed as he slipped into the familiar embrace of a meditative trance.

Calmness washed through him as he concentrated on the all encompassing feeling of peace he always felt whenever he was flying on his broom. The moment the rushing flow of magic leaving his body slowed to a steady stream (as opposed to the uncontrolled flood it had been), Harry unexpectedly came face to face with the two animals that represented his inner nature. Excitement filled the wizard the moment he discovered that both of the animals were birds. Somehow, it didn't really surprise him to learn that the animal that best represented his inner child was a tiny green, black, and gold hummingbird with a long black beak and tiny emerald eyes; small, quick, shy, and easily frightened (just like Harry had been as a child).

He was more than a little surprised to find that the animal that represented his soul was a far larger bird that looked something like a hawk or maybe an eagle with mostly white plumage speckled with pale brown spots and black bars on the underside, solid black flight and tail fathers, piercing emerald and gold eyes, a powerful hooked beak, and short, sharp talons. The bird wasn't nearly as large as Flip and Flop but it was very close in size to the two white-bellied sea eagles and just as fierce looking. Harry had never seen himself as quite that intimidating before but he supposed his Gryffindor courage had to come from somewhere.

The size differences between the two birds blew his mind away as the eagle-like bird looked like it could snap up the tiny hummingbird in one bite without even realizing it. He'd later learn that the bird representing his inner child was the smallest bird in existence (the bee hummingbird) and that it was well below the average size of the species in general while the bird representing his soul was a Short-toed Snake Eagle (a very fitting bird when one considers his fight against the basilisk and the multiple confrontations he's had with the Dark Lord and the various Death Eaters through the years).

Harry's attention was pulled away from his inner natures a few minutes later by the sound of someone urgently calling his name. He reluctantly withdrew from his trance and opened his eyes to find several individuals watching him with open concern while his aura continued to flicker and dance like golden flames around him; though these flames were far tamer than the wildfire storm his magic had been previously. As he focused on the blaze of magic endlessly dancing about him, Harry felt as if he'd been plunged into a hot tub or maybe a sauna due to the near unbearable heat that was almost pleasant in a calm and relaxed way. And while he was no longer panicking, he was still concerned with the way his magic continued to pour forth from his core.

"James, are you here with us now?" Wing asked with more than a little concern.

"Aye," Harry rasped; his throat inexplicably dry and scratchy (as if he'd just gone days without a speaking a single word or taking a drink).

"Good; you need to bring your aura under control."

"I'm trying," Harry replied as he closed his eyes once more and sought to further slow or stop the steady stream of magic that was still pouring from him.

"Try harder," Wing insisted with a frown.

"I'm doing the best I can, damn it; it's not like there's a convenient switch on hand that I can flip to shut the ruddy flood gate you opened," Harry snapped in response; his aura spiking sharply in response to his obvious frustration.

"You need to calm down and allow yourself to relax," Bodoro instructed from his seat on the couch. "Once you have your emotions under control and you're no longer holding yourself so stiffly, you'll need to pull your aura back to you and imagine it forming a bubble around you."

Harry gave a jerky nod in response to the advice before he focused on his breathing in an effort to relax. At the same time, he used Occlumency to blank his mind in order to let go of his frustration and fears. Once he felt more in control of himself, he focused on bringing his magic back under his control using the wandless exercises he'd learned when he first started learning how to cast wandlessly. The problem was that he was far more used to having to push his magic out; not pull it back in and hold it in place. It was like trying to play tug of war with a dragon in midair.

Sweat began beading on his skin as he sought to coax his magic into cooperating with him when no amount of mental force could change the flow leaving his core. His magic gradually responded to the change in tactics and the flow dropped down to a sluggish crawl. That small amount of success helped him to further relax and he opened his eyes to find his magic now lazily flickering around him like the flames of a thousand candles shifting in a light breeze. Part of him could sense the underlying wildness in his magic and he instinctively knew that it wouldn't take much for him to lose what little control he'd gained.

After a few minutes, Harry's attention was drawn away from his magic when Gon and Killua addressed Wing. "Hey, Wing; why does James's aura give off far more heat than mine and Killua's aura?" Gon inquired curiously as he continuously poked at one of the outer most tongues of flame surrounding the wizard while Killua asked, "Do you know why his aura looks nearly solid while yours, mine, and Gon's all appeared more like mist?"

"I don't know," Wing reluctantly admitted as he frowned at Harry for a moment before he glanced down at his left hand.

Harry's eyes followed Wing's gaze and he frowned the moment he caught sight of the burns on the man's hand; his mind bouncing back to that moment when he'd felt a wave of ice wash through him before the flames washed it away. He soon realized that it must have been his magic that burned Wing and he quickly climbed to his feet and made a bee-line for his pack-trunk while unconsciously withdrawing his magic back into his core (his subconscious instinctively wresting control of his magic from his conscious mind now that he was no longer focusing on his magic).

By the time he reached his trunk, Harry's magic had gone completely dormant once more and his pupils and the whites of his eyes had returned to their normal colors while his green irises were now permanently shot through with threads of gold that glittered and flickered like dancing flames.

After spending a few minutes digging through his potions supplies, Harry finally found the jar of Burn Paste that he'd recalled seeing in there. The wizard snagged the jar from the shelf before he stood back up and hurried over to Wing's side. Ignoring the man's protests, Harry slathered a thick coating of the orange paste onto the man's burned hand and quietly ordered him to channel his aura into his hand (like he had when he dented the wall) until the paste had completely dried into a hard shell. The wizard then returned to his things and pulled on his cloak before he tucked the jar of paste into his pocket (in case he needed to treat Wing's hand with a second application) and dug seven chocolate bars out of his trunk.

He quickly tossed a bar of chocolate to each of the other five individuals in the room before he sprawled out on the floor beside his pack and opened one of the two bars he'd taken for himself. Harry let out a soft moan as the first bite of chocolate melted in his mouth; the rich taste chasing away the lingering memories of encountering the dementors (which had been stirred up by his earlier contact with Wing's Ren). Each subsequent bite of chocolate helped to sooth his aching body and washing away the fatigue that had settled over him; his body unused to channeling such large amounts of undirected magic.

He had been tempted to grab a couple of Stone's Teeth instead but had decided against eating any of the energizing candies due to how magically overcharged he felt (as opposed to being magically exhausted).

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**AN:** _I'm still not exactly happy with the way the meeting between Wing and the others played out but I've poked and prodded it so many times that I don't think it's going to get any better. And for those of you who think Harry overreacted; please keep in mind that part of him is paranoid about the wizards finding him even though he usually hides it better. He's also reacting to the responsibility that Zeno placed on him to protect Killua from those threats he's not prepared to deal with. _

_The reason why Wing was not supposed to open his nodes is explained in later chapters; as is the similarities and differences between Magic and Nen. For those who are reading my other HxH/HP crossover, I'm sure that you've noted the differences between the way I described the feel of Harry/Azalea's aura once their nodes were opened and that was intentional. I'm exploring two different possibilities on how Magic and Nen interact and react; which was why I ended up with two different stories with somewhat similar sub plots. ~ Jenn  
_

**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	22. Letters x Training x and Bullies

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Twenty-Two: Letters x Training x and Bullies

Harry, Killua, and Gon spent the rest of March first meditating to get a handle on using Ten; the three of them for once not fighting a single battle (though for Harry, the new training was far more tiring than any fight he'd had to date). Once they were finished for the day, the original quartet returned to their temporary residence for supper. After the meal, Harry vanished into his tent and wrote a long letter to Chairman Netero filled with dozens of questions regarding the differences and similarities between Nen and magic. The moment that he finished the letter, he called for Dobby and asked the elf to deliver it to Chairman Netero when the man was alone and informed Dobby that he'd given Chairman Netero permission to summon him to collect the reply once it had been written.

The next letter that the fifteen year old wrote was to Bill, asking the twenty-five year old if he could find him additional books on wandless spell casting and auras, the various species of eagles (or one that covered all of the larger birds of prey) and hummingbirds (preferably with detailed pictures or colored drawings of each species), and more information on the Potter and Evans families. Dobby would pop back into the tent the moment that letter was finished in order to deliver it to Bill once the older wizard was alone.

Harry wouldn't receive his reply from Chairman Netero until the thirteenth of April while Bill's reply would arrive at the end of the March along with his usual monthly report on the twenty-ninth (due to how long it would take him to collect a small portion of the information Harry requested – the rest proving rather difficult to track down).

Knowing that it could easily be days before either man replied to his letters, Harry spent the rest of that night searching through the books he'd gotten from Hogwarts in the hopes that he would find information on Nen, auras, life force, the origins of magic (or about the theories of what magic was and where it came from), and wandless spell casting. All he got for his efforts though was a killer headache from squinting at so many hand written journals and guides that had been faded with age because the protective charms that prevented damage to them had not been renewed like they would have been if they'd been stored in the Hogwarts Library under Madam Pince's care.

More than a little frustrated over the lack of information on hand and far too twitchy to patiently wait for the replies that he knew wouldn't be arriving soon, Harry threw himself into a slue of matches out of desperation instead of taking off a week as Bodoro originally intended. The teen easily plowed his way through fifty fights that first day and he would have continued in that vein for the rest of the week except for the fact that the other fighters had quickly picked up on his more aggressive attitude. In fact, many of the fighters started to avoid facing him inside the ring; giving Harry a dozen or two wins by default when an opponent failed to show for their match on the second and third day (since a single loss wasn't all that big of a deal in the long run when skipping a match meant facing a different opponent uninjured).

That, of course, only increased Harry's frustration.

After the third day, Harry cut back the number of fights he signed up for to thirty per day (which would still allow him to move up six floors per day). The drop in number was immediately noticed by the other fighters and the number of no shows dropped accordingly; something that helped Harry with his frustration as he could vent all of his angst in a match instead of outside the tower (something his companions really appreciated). Any free time he had throughout the day was then split between his physical conditioning, martial arts training, his Nen lessons, and when he could find the time he worked on his spell casting.

Bodoro ceaselessly worked with him to remove any and all weaknesses in his fighting style, occasionally added another kata or form the moment Harry mastered the move that had previously been introduced, and made certain that Harry didn't neglect any of the core muscle groups when he did his morning exercises. When Harry wasn't being pushed to his limits physically by Bodoro, he was being pushed mentally and emotionally by Wing as the absentminded Hunter set Harry all kinds of mental exercises in order to help him gain better control over his wild aura (and his temper).

Those mental exercises and activities actually helped to reinforce Harry's grasp on Mind Magic since the goal was basically the same goal that had driven Harry to start practicing Mind Magics in the first place; to strengthen and protect his mind. It would still take nearly two full weeks before the edge was worn off of Harry's frustration; of course, most of that was due to the fact that he had grown far too tired to put forth the mental effort necessary to maintain his agitation. There were several changes that Harry eventually noticed about himself once he was no longer quite so focused on his frustration.

The first discovery he'd made were of the changes that had happened to his eyes since Wing had awakened him. The most notable of which were the permanent gold threads of magic that now cut through his emerald irises; the undulating lines of gold made it seem like flames were constantly dancing in his eyes. The next change, and one he thought might be directly related to the threads of magic now living in his eyes, was his new ability to see a person's aura whether or not they'd been 'awakened' and regardless of what state their aura was in (even if the person was suppressing their aura using Zetsu).

His new capacity to see everyone's aura (their life force) greatly enhanced the ability he'd developed to gauge a person's strength and character through observation. It also enabled him to quickly and easily identify other Nen users due to the differences in the way a Nen user's aura flowed when compared to a non-Nen user's aura. In time and with the proper training, he would eventually learn how to use that ability to identify and categorize magicals based upon the size and density of their magical auras and cores.

The last change he noted about his eyes was a new heightened sensitivity to even the smallest fluctuations in lighting (such as walking into a dimly lit room after standing outside); his eyes adjusting far faster to the changes in the light than they had previously. He also quickly discovered that going from near complete darkness into a brightly lit room (or stepping outside a building into the sunlight) blinded him briefly and left him with a slight headache until his eyes adjusted. The transitional lenses on his glasses thankfully helped mitigate the worst of the problems when he exited a building during the day or flipped on a light in the middle of the night.

Sadly, the changes to his eyes didn't include an improvement to his imperfect eyesight (though he would notice a slight improvement in that department after he reached the point in his animagus training when he began transforming into his alternate forms later down the line; specifically when he started to shift into his eagle form as most avian raptors were notoriously sharp-sighted).

Aside from the changes to his eyes, the next obvious change was a marked increase in Harry's rate of healing. For as long as Harry could remember, he'd always healed three times faster than a non-magical person and close to two times faster than the average witch or wizard his age. Now, though, Harry could practically watch his injuries heal themselves (providing that they were superficial injuries like scrapes and bruises). Even the initial pain of his injuries faded far faster than it used to; making it easier for him to get up and keep fighting even if he was injured. Applying magical aides (such as the Bruise Balm or the Bone Mending Spell) further reduced the time it took for him to heal from injuries.

The last positive change that Harry had discovered wasn't really all that noticeable until it actually kicked in. Harry had always had a sixth sense for knowing when he was in immediate danger or a sense of premonition when there was going to be trouble but now he was hypersensitive to all potential threats. This included being able to 'feel' a punch or a kick that was directed at him as well as being able to sense murderous intent directed at him from within a ten meter radius (a distance that would increase as his mastery over Nen increased). Combined with his new ability to see auras, this ability would allow him to accurately identify each threat, gauge the threat's strength, and determine the exact moment that the threat would attack once he'd mastered both abilities (and so long as he was actually paying attention).

Individually, those changes would have given Harry's fighting capabilities a modest boost but all together they made Harry a formidable opponent despite the fact that he was still developing and mastering his fighting style. Landing a hit on him became nearly impossible for all but the fastest of adversaries, critical hits were now no where near as effective as they would have been previously, and it was far harder to hide from him (meaning that it was harder to both evade the wizard and to sneak up on him). Killua learned that the hard way when the two of them faced each other in the ring for the second time on the tenth and Harry managed to block the move that had seen him lose their previous fight; that match would end in a draw (much to Killua's disgruntlement and the crowd's disappointment).

It was the two changes that Harry deemed negative that bothered him though. The first one was that he could constantly feel wisps of magic thrumming through him just beneath his skin. The constant presence of magic flowing through his very blood didn't physically bother him (it caused him no pain) but the continuous feeling that his magic was going to escape his control terrified him at times. The only thing that kept him from panicking completely over the magic running wild through him was the fact that it was such a small amount of magic.

The last change was far more serious in Harry's mind. The reason for that was because the last change had to do with his control. Ever since Wing had opened his aura nodes, he'd been having trouble regulating exactly how much magic was put into the spells that he cast. That was especially true when it came to wanded magic; his wand drawing upon far too much magic each time he cast a spell. It reminded him far too much of the first few weeks immediately after he'd had all of Dumbledore's bindings removed; when his core had still been in a state of chaos.

He knew he could fix the problem, with time, but that didn't mean he was exactly happy with the need to once again regain the control he'd worked so hard to gain. The fact that that lack of control also extended to his ability to use Nen wasn't surprising even if it was annoying. The only solace Harry had was that the new lack of control actually helped make it easier to cast wandless and wordless spells since his magic responded to his intentions far more readily than it used to; if one didn't count his inability to fully limit the amount of magic used.

Off-setting the issues with his spell casting and Nen training, Harry's physical training saw the same type of steady improvements he'd experienced prior to his awakening; the wizard thrived under the challenge of reaching the two-hundredth floor and further mastering his fighting style.

Harry wasn't the only one improving during that time; Killua and Gon were growing by leaps and bounds as they trained right alongside of the wizard. The two twelve year olds actually made the most progress in their Nen training; both boys taking to Nen like fish to water. Their progress fascinated Harry and he would often be slapped upside the back of the head each time Wing caught him slacking off because he was constantly stopping to watch the two younger boys when he was supposed to be training. The reason for the fascination was the fact that Harry knew both boys were muggles; he'd tested them more than once during the weeks they'd been together.

On the eleventh of March, Harry further cut back on the number of fights he fought per day as the opponents he fought began to show a significant difference in strength and skill compared to earlier opponents; going from thirty fights to ten fights in a day. That also had the added benefit of giving him more time to train; something both of his teachers took advantage of as they began pushing him even more. The reduced number of fights also gave Killua and Gon time to catch up to him as they had not been able to keep up with Harry during those first three days on top of their training (the two kids didn't have Harry's seemingly endless well of magic to give their energy levels a boost, though they weren't that far behind him).

The next fifteen days were even busier than the first ten days despite the fact that he was facing far fewer opponents but Harry didn't mind. In fact, he preferred it; the fuller his days and the more exhausted he was by the time he crawled into bed, the less likely he was to have nightmares during the night (his earlier control through Occlumency had not yet been fully regained). Sure, he could have resorted to drinking a dose of Dreamless Sleep each night but he disliked relying up the sleeping potion because it could be highly addictive and if he used it too frequently, then it would cease being effective after a time.

At the end of those two weeks, Bodoro and Wing both insisted that all three boys take a break; prohibiting them from doing any type of training or fighting in order to allow their bodies to rest. Harry grumbled about the temporary training ban but soon forgot all about it when Wing announced that a traveling carnival had arrived a few days earlier and would only be there for a couple of more days. Having never been to a carnival before, Harry immediately dragged Killua, Gon, and Zushi with him under the pretense of treating the three boys for all of their hard work. Bodoro and Wing had both seen through the ploy; both men had picked up the signs of Harry's less than pleasant childhood even if they didn't know any specifics.

All four boys had a ball during the two days they spent at the carnival. They rode all of the rides two dozen times each, played all of the games at least once and won dozens of prizes, sat through each of the side shows two or three times, and ate junk food until they made themselves sick. Harry had been rather sad when he learned that the carnival's last day in the area coincided with their second day visiting the traveling carnival. He would have liked to have spent another day or two just being a child; something he'd rarely ever really had the chance to do growing up.

During the final four days of the month, Harry would move up a single floor per day; fighting no more than five matches per day as he faced his strongest opponents yet. Bodoro would tape each one of those twenty matches in order to allow Harry to see how far he'd grown during the past two months. He also reincorporated Harry's practice sword into Harry's fighting style since once he reached the two-hundredth floor, he'd be allowed to use weapons during his matches. After all, it would do Harry no good to take or use his sword if he couldn't seamlessly integrate his sword stances into his new fighting style.

Killua and Gon were moving up between two and three floors during those same days as they'd not pushed themselves as much as Harry had during the first week and a half of the month. Zushi, on the other hand, had ended up dropping back down back to the first floor after sustaining three losses in a row from opponents above his skill level when he'd reached floor one-ten. The ten year old had then requested that Wing enroll him in the same fight program that Harry and the other two had been in since the beginning; the kid wished to gain more experience since he'd seen the vast leaps in skill that all three of the other adolescents had gained during the past five weeks.

On the thirty-first of March, Harry, Gon, and Killua would reach the two-hundredth floor just as Bodoro had predicted they would back at the start of the month. Both Wing and Bodoro knew the only reason that they hadn't reached the higher floors sooner was due to Harry cutting back on the number of matches he fought in each day through the course of the month in order to increase his training time.

The moment the three boys stepped off the lift on floor two hundred, they noticed a difference in the atmosphere as well as in the décor. As they headed for the receptionist, Harry took point as his senses were screaming warnings at him; his sixth sense telling him that he was in immediate danger. The three of them turned down the next hallway and had barely gone three steps when they stopped in their tracks as they were hit with the hostile intent of another individual.

Killua and Gon grit their teeth as they automatically used Ten to protect themselves with a shroud made from their aura while Harry closed his eyes briefly as he coaxed forth the smallest amount of his aura possible; flooding his body with his magic. A heartbeat later, he opened completely gold eyes as he allowed the wild flames of his aura to wrap around him and expand outwards for several yards (Harry carefully directing his aura away from Gon and Killua). The heat of his magic (so much more potent than a non-magical person's aura) easily cut through the Ren of whoever it was that had been attempting to intimidate them using Nen and drew a soft gasp of surprise from their 'attacker'.

He cut off the flow of Nen a moment later and pulled most of his magic back into his body (allowing only the whites of his eyes and his pupils to return to their natural color) as a woman wearing a Heaven's Arena employee uniform stepped around the corner at the other end of the hallway. The woman congratulated the three of them on passing her test before she welcomed them to the two-hundredth floor. The trio approached the woman and stopped a polite distance away from her in order to listen to the small speech that all participants received when they made it to the two-hundredth floor.

It was basically a quick and dirty run down of the rules (or lack there of) that governed the final fifty floors of the tower (the top floor reserved as a pent-house), what they could expect in the way of prizes (nothing aside from the glory that came with each win), and what it would take for them to remain on that level of the tower (a minimum of one fight fought every three months until they won ten fights or lost four).

She'd barely finished giving her spiel when the true threat that Harry had been monitoring since stepping foot in the short hallway made himself known. The fifteen year old growled low in the back of his throat the moment he recognized Hisoka. Both of the twelve year olds with him jumped back a step and fell into a defensive stance the instant that they too recognized the costumed Hunter with Killua breathing the man's name under his breath in much the same way that most of the wizarding world still whispered the moniker You-Know-Who; with fear. Harry firmly stood his ground and shifted so that he was standing protectively in front of both younger boys.

"Why are you here?" Killua demanded from where he was standing slightly behind Harry.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hisoka purred in response as he lifted a hand up to his head. "What better place is there to be for one who loves to fight as much as I do? After all, this tower is a temple dedicated to fighters and fighting. I am surprised to find the three of you here; I had not expected my little mouse to wander so willingly into a house filled with felines, serpents, and raptors while dragging a pair of wet-behind-the-ears pups on his apron strings."

"Shut up, Hisoka; you're boring me again," Harry ordered in a flat tone as he reassessed the level of threat that Hisoka represented and soon relegated him to the same ranking as Voldemort and Dumbledore; a significant drop since Harry had considered the man a far greater threat the last time he'd encountered him. That didn't mean that the man didn't make him feel uneasy and that he didn't acknowledge the threat the older Hunter represented; he just no longer saw him as being any more powerful than the other two dark lords in his life.

"You're a rude little mouse," Hisoka retorted with what suspiciously sounded like a pout. "Always ruining my fun and flitting off into the shadows to hide the moment we cross paths."

"And you have a nasty habit of popping up and annoying people when they have better things to do than to pander to your desperate attempts to garner attention like a spoiled toddler throwing a temper tantrum," Harry shot back without missing a beat as he did his best not to allow his unease to show; making both Gon and Killua gasp in surprise over his audacity.

"Such bravery… or foolishness," Hisoka murmured as he slowly walked towards Harry. "You are an interesting toy, my little mouse."

"Toy…? I suppose you consider yourself a cat then?"

"You are correct, my clever little mouse."

"Then allow me to give you a word of warning," Harry stated as he defiantly glared up at the taller man with glittering gold eyes that burned with an inner fire. "I was never earthbound like you; I was born flying and if you continue to stalk my shadow thinking it a mouse hiding in the dark, you will be crushed from above when I swoop down out of the sky and break your back with my talons the moment I grow weary of your antics."

"You think yourself a hawk, little mouse?" Hisoka inquired with a mixture of amusement and surprise.

"No; I know, I am an eagle and I've crushed serpents that were far uglier and far more dangerous than you could ever hope to be," Harry drawled with a small, smug smirk as he stepped around Hisoka and gestured for Gon and Killua to get moving with his left hand while his right hand subtly stuck Hisoka's shoes to the ground with an overpowered wordless and wandless spell. "Now, do be a good little alley cat and go chase some cockroaches out of the kitchens or something."

Gon and Killua were choking on their laughter as the two of them darted passed Harry after they'd taken one look at the gob smacked expression on Hisoka's face. Harry sauntered after them while whistling a jaunty little tune under his breath even as he closely monitored Hisoka from the corner of his eye and with his magic. All three boys stopped to glance back over their shoulders when they heard a loud thump and found Hisoka picking himself up after he'd tumbled face first into the floor when he'd tried to turn and follow the boys (courtesy of the Sticking Charm Harry had cast).

"Do watch your step, Hisoka; the earthbound were never meant to sore though the heavens alongside those of us who were born with wings and if you spend too much time trying to leap onto the clouds in order to catch us, you're going to eventually fall to your death," Harry taunted as he ushered the boys up to the receptionist's window just a short ways down the hall while discreetly canceling the Sticking Charm with a careful flick of his wrist. "And landing on your feet won't always save you when you jump too high."

There was a brief flash of murderous intent laced with pure lust that filled the hallway before both the oppressive aura and Hisoka vanished. Harry let out a quiet sigh of relief as the feeling of impending doom that had been pressing down on him since he stepped off of the lift left with the costumed Hunter. Shaking off the lingering unease and distaste that Hisoka's appearance had filled him with, Harry returned his attention to the receptionist who was currently holding out a trio of registration forms for the three boys.

Harry let Killua and Gon fill out their forms first while he kept a discreet eye on the three minor threats that were lingering just out of sight. He knew the only reason they weren't circling like a pack of hyenas around them right now was because they had witnessed Harry's confrontation with Hisoka. He also knew that they'd attempt to waylay Gon and Killua the moment the two boys left his sight because the two twelve year olds appeared to be easy targets. Harry filled out his form next while he kept one eye on the two twelve year olds as they whispered and giggled back and forth about what had happened with Hisoka.

Once Harry turned in his form, the receptionist tried to pass them three room keys, only for Harry to randomly select one and return the other two to the woman; firmly insisting that the three of them would be staying in the same room. It was a good thing that Killua and Gon liked him so much or they might have been resentful of being deprived an opportunity to have an entire room to themselves. The two kids loved hanging out with Harry though; he never treated them as if they were beneath him nor did he try to order them around just because he was older than them. That and Harry tended to let them get away with everything but murder (including overloading them with sugary confections) on top of keeping them entertained when they'd otherwise be bored out of their minds.

Registration complete, the trio headed towards their assigned room; Killua and Gon leading the way with an endless stream of excited chatter while Harry trailed after them. Just before they turned into the hallway that would lead them back to the lift (their room five floors above the reception area), Harry turned to glance right at the trio that had been lurking just out of sight; letting the hyenas know that their presence hadn't been missed and silently warning them to keep their distance. Message sent and hopefully received, Harry caught up with his troublesome charges as they raced for the lift. Ten minutes later, Harry unlocked the door to their shared room and the two twelve year olds bounced into the room filled to the bursting with excitement.

Harry watched them for a long minute with an amused smile as they explored the room and took in the view from the window before he went about setting up his tent off to the side of the huge king size bed beside the window. He then grabbed a ward stone out of his trunk, plucked a hair from both twelve year olds as well as himself, fished out the hairs he'd sneakily snagged from Wing, Bodoro, and Zushi, and warded the entire suite with the same spells he'd used to hide and protect his campsite on Zevil Island; shoving the stone under the couch once he finished. It was something he'd also discreetly done to Bodoro's and Wing's residences when no one was paying attention to him; though he'd had to leave off those spells that would have hidden both residences since they had guests other than Harry and the three boys visit them from time to time.

"Why don't one of you give both Wing and Bodoro a call to let them know that we had no trouble registering and give them our room number while I see about making supper?" Harry suggested once he'd finished setting the wards.

"Why do you always have one of us to make any phone calls you want to make?" Killua asked as he frowned at the wizard.

"I'm allergic to technology and neither one of you can cook," Harry quipped with a shrug instead of admitting that he'd never learned how to use the newer digital phones, cell phones, or any type of computer or gaming device. That was on top of his magic's tendency to fry the more delicate electronic gadgets if he got to close to them while magic was actively running through his blood, though things like the lift or the carnival rides were fine so long as he didn't start casting magic while using them (wards notwithstanding as there was very little active magic involved in wards bar what was used to activate them unless one used retaliatory type wards that attacked would-be-trespassers).

"Whatever, I want pizza for supper," Killua retorted as he picked up the phone and dialed Bodoro's number.

Harry snorted over the demand before he ducked back into his tent and called Dobby. The little elf popped into the tent just a moment later and Harry found himself at a loss for words when the little elf crossed his arms and all but glared at him.

"Master Harry is starting to frazzle his Dobby with too much work; Dobby can't keep watch over Master Harry's friends after they is getting into troubles with Hogwarts High Toad if Dobby is always being called to deliver letters and make donuts," Dobby groused with obvious reluctance (since the hyperactive elf usually loved being given lots of work – especially anything that involved personally serving Harry).

"I'm sorry, Dobby; I kind of forgot that you are just one elf."

"Dobby understands that Master Harry depends on his Dobby to take care of him," Dobby countered as he perked up the instant that Harry apologized to him. "Dobby knows how to fix it so that Master Harry is properly taken care of and Dobby is able to watch over Master Harry's friends as Dobby is ordered. Does Dobby have Master Harry's permission to fix everything?"

"Okay," Harry hesitantly agreed since Dobby hadn't exactly told him how he was going to fix things.

The moment he agreed, the elf gave out what sounded like a cross between a happy squeak and a relieved sigh before he popped away. Harry was a little confused but figured that the elf was just going to do whatever needed to be done to 'fix' things so that Harry wouldn't have to call on Dobby so much whenever he needed a hand with things – especially when it came to cooking large quantities of food to fee the two bottomless pits called Gon and Killua. The elf returned a moment later with another, younger elf in tow.

"Um, Dobby…?"

"Master Harry, this is being Minky. Minky, this is Dobby's Master Harry Potter sir. Minky is Dobby's friend and Minky is in girly trouble and needs new family before her litter is born or her elflings will be stolen from her the moment they open their eyes. Minky is better cook than Dobby and Minky can take care of Master Harry's needs while Dobby is following Master Harry's orders to watch over Master Harry's friends. Dobby will still deliver Master Harry's mail too since Minky won't be able to pop about while growing elflings in her tummy."

Harry ran a hand over his face as he tried not to get upset over Dobby's solution even though he suspected that Dobby had intended for Minky to end up in Harry's care all along; he hadn't missed the concerned looks the green-eyed male had been casting at the brown-eyed female. Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he asked, "And is Dobby the elf responsible for Minky being in 'girly trouble'?"

"No, Minky was finagled by a flighty elf that tattled on Minky to Headmaster Dumbledore about the litter Minky now carries," Minky answered in defense of Dobby. "Dobby is only being Minky's friend and Dobby told Minky he would find a family for Minky so that Minky wouldn't loose her first litter."

"Wait a minute; you're a Hogwarts' elf?"

"Minky was a kitchen elf for Hogwarts until Dobby took Minky to see the talking hat. The talking hat set Minky free with little wizard hat after Dobby told the talking hat that he was taking Minky to Harry Potter sir to protect Minky and Minky's little ones."

"So the Sorting Hat… er Sortilegus set you free? And you are okay with Dobby bringing you to bond with me?" Harry asked in order to confirm that she was both free and willing to be bound to him. The little female elf began nodding her head so fast that Harry feared she would get whiplash in her enthusiasm to insure that Harry knew she was there willingly. "Two last questions then before we bond; how many baby elves are in a litter and how many months does an elf's pregnancy last?"

"Between two and ten elflings," Dobby answered a little sheepishly. "All girly elves have ten elflings when they are first getting in girly trouble but if there is not enough magic for all of the elflings, then not all elflings will be born. The more powerful the family a girly elf is bonded to, the more elflings are born in a litter. Girly elves bound to Hogwarts never have more than two or three in a litter and they are never allowed to keep their elflings once they open their eyes. And elf litters take three to four months to be born depending on the number of elflings in the litter. Minky be just one month along."

"That's a lot of little baby elves to have running around in just a couple of months," Harry mumbled to himself even as he pulled out his wand in order to perform the bonding spell.

This time, the bonding only took a few minutes since Harry's core was no longer bound by Dumbledore's spells; though he had had to struggle with the spell a bit at first due to how messed up his control had been since Wing opened his aura nodes. Harry then said goodbye to Dobby as the elf only stayed long enough to insure that Harry bonded the young female before he popped away. Minky then hugged Harry while squealing giddily about how she was going to have at least six little elflings now that she was bonded to such a powerful wizard (the influx of Harry's magic through the bond like sugar to the elf). She then demanded to know what Harry needed for her to do first.

Harry nearly whimpered when he pictured himself surrounded by six little Minky clones all demanding an equal share of work. Sighing as he buried the frightening image, Harry showed Minky to the kitchen and let her know where all of his food supplies were kept before he asked her if she knew how to make pizza (she did). He then asked her to make three large meat pizzas and bake a chocolate cake. He also made certain to warn her about the two muggle boys that he was currently staying with so she'd know not to be seen outside of the tent if they were around and about Flip and Flop's tendency to prank people when they were bored (promising to introduce her to the two eagles later since Flop was off delivering a birthday card and present to Kurapika and Flip was due back any day with a reply from Canary).

When Harry finally crawled out of the tent with the pizzas and the cake in hand, he was razzed about taking far too long (both boys citing the fact that a pizzeria would have had their pizza at the door in under thirty minutes guaranteed) and Harry's response was dire mutterings about 'girly trouble', obsessive compulsive cleaners, and babies. The twelve year olds didn't bring up his lateness again as they feared to hear what 'girly trouble' a boy could get into and wanted nothing to do with a bunch of babies (they were still at the age where both babies and girls were icky, after all).

After a good night's sleep in their new accommodations, the three boys spent the first of April in a pranking contest to see who could prank the most people without getting caught. Harry would win that one hands down when he pranked the entire audience in one of the stadiums on floor one-ninety-six by sticking their pants to the stadium seats (meaning they were all 'pantsed' the moment they stood up). The best part about that particular prank was that it had been caught on camera. The two twelve year olds had made a good attempt though; they'd pranked dozens of people by rigging the sink faucets to spray water at crotch level in all of the men's restrooms on the first five floors.

Harry had also sent Fred and George a very special birthday present; he had sent Dumbledore a large jar full of 'rabid' butterflies. Only this time he'd transfigured the butterflies out of sherbet lemons before he applied the other spells (minus the duplicating spell) to make the butterflies 'bite'. The jar he'd tucked them in had been labeled as _Lemon Flutterbites ~ Made from Real Sherbet Lemons_ with a fancy label to make it look like a real jar of magical candies. He'd then had Dobby deliver the jar to Dumbledore using one of the school's owls during breakfast that morning in the hopes that the man wouldn't be able to resist having one of his favorite candies during breakfast.

Dobby would deliver wizarding photos of the Butterfly Incident later that night; including a few of Dumbledore's second attempt at eating the Flutterbites privately in his office. Harry took one look at those photos and nearly died laughing as he choked on the treacle tart he had been eating at the time. Fred and George would later send him a letter begging for the 'recipe' to make more Flutterbites and permission to make other flavors and sell them in their joke shop with the Rabid Butterflies that he'd sent them previously. Harry would not hesitate to give them that permission alongside the instructions on how to make both kinds of butterflies.

The second and third of April were equally good days as the three boys spent their time relaxing, doing light training with Zushi (the ten year old heading up to see them each afternoon after he'd fought and won enough matches to move up at least one floor each day), and waiting for a match to take place on their floor level so that they could get an idea of how the matches differed from those on the floors below two hundred. Unfortunately, things would rapidly go downhill on the evening of the third when Gon was cornered by the three weaker bullies that Harry had sensed on the night they registered. The twelve year old had stepped outside of the room alone to purchase several cans of juice while Harry had walked Zushi back to Wing's home (to make certain the kid wasn't ambushed by the hyenas that kept hanging around).

When Harry returned an hour later, it was to a contrite, slightly nervous, and not so secretly excited Gon confessing that he'd ignored Harry's order to not leave the room alone (to buy some juice that had in the end been stolen by the bullies) and that he'd been coerced into signing up for a match with a fighter named Gido that would take place the following afternoon. Harry sighed and shook his head but didn't bother lecturing the kid because it wasn't as if he'd purposefully gone looking for trouble when he'd left the room. The wizard then promptly left to go purchase tickets to the match so that he and Killua could watch the fight while Killua called Bodoro and Wing and let them know what had happened.

The next day, Wing spent several hours working with Gon to make certain that he'd at least be able to protect himself from the older, more experienced fighter. The group then converged on the stadium to take their seats with Harry escorting Gon down to the locker room to prevent anyone from attacking the twelve year old in order to make him forfeit the match before he could fight. The wizard would also watch from the floor near the hall leading to the locker rooms so that he would be on hand after the fight to protect the kid (he trusted Wing and Bodoro to watch over Killua for him for the duration of the match).

The fight itself was brutal due to the fact that Gon had not really been prepared to fight in a match where his opponent would fight entirely using Nen tricks. Gon rose to the occasion with his usual Gryffindor brashness but inevitably lost when one of Gido's Nen enhanced tops broke Gon's arm after he'd already taken several blows earlier in the match. Harry was beyond furious by the time Gido was declared the winner and the only reason that he didn't storm the ring and skin the man alive right then and there was thanks to the month of training Wing had put him through to help him control his emotions.

That wouldn't stop the wizard from getting revenge though.

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**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	23. Setting x the x Stage

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, foul language, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Twenty-Three: Setting x the x Stage

After seeing Gon safely tucked into bed with Killua and Zushi for company and Bodoro to keep an eye on the children, Harry used his invisibility cloak for the first time in months to stalk Gido. The moment the cloaked man with the single top-like artificial leg was alone in his assigned room, Harry locked the doors with his magic and revealed himself to the man. Gido went from shocked to angry to nervous in less than a minute as he realized that he was alone with Harry, that Harry was more than a little pissed, and that he couldn't open the door so he could escape or call on his buddies for help.

"I knew the three of you would attack the moment an opportunity arose but I left you alone so long as you left my charges alone because I thought you'd understood my unspoken message that first night," Harry stated in a bland tone as he crossed his arms and scowled at the crippled man. "And like the scavengers you and your friends are, you ignored my warning and attacked the moment I stepped out. I bet the three of you spent most of last night congratulating yourselves, thinking that you got one over on me but all you've succeeded in doing is pissing me off."

"The little boys you were protecting had to fight sometime," Gido pointed out as he shifted nervously.

"I wasn't preventing them from fighting, I was protecting them from scum like you who seek to take advantage of those newly arrived on the floor because you know your not strong enough to challenge your betters," Harry countered in a voice that was hard and cold with suppressed fury as he stopped trying to pretend he wasn't furious. "And now I'm going to have to rearrange my schedule in order to teach you and your pathetic little friends a lesson that you won't soon forget."

"We're not afraid of you," Gido stated in a voice that shook the slightest bit.

"You should try not pissing all over yourself the next time you say that to someone; your words will have a better chance of being believed," Harry drawled as he wrinkled his nose in disgust as he suddenly caught the acrid scent of urine filling the room. "Now, pay attention little cockroach because I will only say this once; I'm going down to see the receptionist once I leave here and I'm going to register to fight three matches; one on the ninth, one on the tenth, and one on the eleventh. You had better be right on my heels to register for your next match on the ninth and you had better show up for our fight because if you make me hunt you down, then you will _not_ like the consequences."

Harry began walking towards the exit the moment he'd delivered his message, making Gido hurriedly back away from the door. The wizard then reached out, grabbed hold of the handle, and paused before he glanced over his shoulder at the man as he added, "Make certain to tell your little buddies to sign up for the tenth and eleventh respectively because I intend to make certain that all three of you get the message loud and clear this time. I also suggest that you not attempt to attack me or the children between now and our matches because if I even suspect that you are trying to cheat, I _will_ make you wish for death when I get my hands on you."

The fifteen year old then slipped out of Gido's room and headed towards the receptionist's area in order to register as promised. He was more than a little irritated over fighting earlier than he originally intended (he'd really wanted to watch a few fights first to get an idea of what to expect) but he'd be damned if he let the trio of bullies get away with harming Gon or allowing them to think that they could bully Killua next. He should have done something about the trio of bullies sooner but he'd honestly thought they'd understood the silent message he'd given them that first night.

Apparently, they had thought that his silent warning had simply meant that they needed to be sneaky about how they proceeded.

He arrived at the receptionist's counter just a few minutes later and he politely requested three match registration forms from the man on duty. Harry quickly filled all three of them out with his name and the dates he'd given to Gido before passing the forms back to him. The man frowned when he noticed the dates Harry had requested for the matches and advised, "I suggest you change the dates for your second and third match, kid; you'll need the time to heal between them."

"Thank you for your concern but you need not worry about me or my health; I will be more than capable of participating in all three matches on the dates I requested them. I would also appreciate it if you never again referred to me as a kid or a child; I am seventeen and an emancipated minor until my majority this summer," Harry countered as he let a small sneer twist his lips over the man calling him a kid. "Gido will be registering for the ninth and his two companions will be registering for the tenth and the eleventh. You are aware of the individuals to whom I am referring? Good, make certain that those three individuals are the ones that I am scheduled to fight on my chosen days."

"Yes, sir; Mr. Evans," the man replied contritely as he entered Harry's requested matches into the computer.

"Thank you," Harry replied curtly in reply before he spun on his heel and headed back towards his room.

The moment he entered the room he shared with Killua and Gon, Killua demanded, "Where have you been? You said that you would be back hours ago."

"I was rearranging my lesson plans," Harry cryptically replied as he noted that Bodoro and Zushi had left at some point prior to his return before he immediately ducked into his tent in order to grab a jar of Bruise Balm from his pack-trunk along with a roll of gauze and a couple of chocolate bars.

He then crawled back out of the tent and headed over to the bed where Gon was sitting up against the headboard looking slightly pathetic as he stared at his broken arm (the second broken arm he'd had in the past three months). Harry tossed one of the chocolate bars to Killua to keep the brat silent while he worked before he opened the second and passed it to Gon. Once both twelve year olds were distracted by the candy, Harry pulled Gon's right arm from the sling, drew his wand, vanished the cast on his arm, and cast the Bone Mending Spell over the arm (one of the first spells he'd taught himself after Gon's fight with Hanzo).

A quick diagnostic charm confirmed that the spell had taken and that bones in Gon's arm had mended themselves back together before he cast a numbing spell and a general healing spell that would reduce the swelling. Gon gasped at the unexpected and abrupt lessening of pain in his arm which drew Killua's attention. Harry ignored the now curious boys as he gently applied the Bruise Balm to the dark bruises that marred the entire arm (from both the break and from the impact of the Nen enhanced top that had hit it). Harry then wrapped the arm snugly in the gauze he'd brought out before he gently tucked the arm back into the sling once more.

"Alright, I've done what I could to speed up the healing but you'll still need to wait a couple of days before you start using your arm or you will strain the newly healed bone and break it again," Harry instructed as he picked up the jar of Bruise Balm again. "Now, lift up your shirt and turn around so that I can apply the Bruise Balm to the bruises on your back and side. If you practice using Ten after I've finished applying the balm to your bruises, it should help dull the pain and clear away the bruises faster."

"Thanks, James," Gon stated as he spun around and impulsively hugged Harry once he'd finished applying the balm to the rather nasty bruise in the middle of the kid's back.

"You're welcome, my little mule," Harry replied fondly as he awkwardly hugged the kid in return (being careful not to press on his bruises or his recently healed arm).

"Mule?" Killua snickered as Gon's new nickname distracted from him asking questions about Harry's ability to heal others.

"I wouldn't laugh, my little stray," Harry warned in a playful tone. "You wouldn't want annoy the stubborn little mule to the point where he kicks you."

"I wish you'd stop calling me that," Killua pouted while Gon laughed this time.

Harry opened his mouth to tease the twelve year old some more when his attention was caught by a loud chime as the television in their room turned on by itself and displayed the confirmation for all three of his matches with what he assumed were the correct opponents, though he was uncertain since the only name he recognized was Gido's. Both of the younger boys gasped in shock the moment they saw Gido's name coupled with the dates of all three fights and jumped to the correct conclusion that Harry would be facing all three bullies.

"Did they force you to face them one right after another?" Gon demanded angrily as he curled his left hand into a fist and scowled at the television.

"No; I forced them into the back to back fights," Harry corrected as he sat up, replaced the lid on the jar of bruise balm, and stood up before setting the jar on the nightstand with the remainder of the gauze and cleaned his hands with a flick of his wand.

"Why would you…? Are you crazy?" Killua exclaimed in shock.

"No, I'm pissed as all hell. Gido could have permanently crippled Gon in their match today because Gon had no idea what to expect from the fight; which is why they had cornered him the way they did. I will not allow them a second chance to bully either one of you again."

"You don't have to fight them just because Gido hurt me," Gon protested in concern. "I can get him back myself."

"Yes, I do," Harry countered with a sharp shake of his head. "They dared to harm you after I warned them away on the night we registered. They issued me a challenge by going after one of you and I will smack them down and make damn certain that they will never attempt to do so a second time."

"I don't understand; why would you…?" Killua asked in confusion.

"Do you know why you are here, Killua?" Harry asked instead of answering the other boy's question.

"The same reason you are; to fight."

"No, I wasn't asking you why you are at Heaven's Arena; I was asking you if you knew why you were here with me and Gon right now."

"Because I wanted to come with you two."

"Wrong; you are here because your father and grandfather trusted me to protect you from those threats that you couldn't defend yourself against. If I had not somehow managed to impress them during the two spars I fought with Kurapika and Canary, then you would not have been allowed to leave Kukuroo Mountain with us. I gave them my word that I would watch over you and should I fail to keep my promise, I have no doubt that they will kill me slowly and painfully."

"I'm not here to babysit you; we all know that I'd be a horrible babysitter. I'm also not here to hold your hand and keep you from getting a few bruises but I can and will protect you from the likes of Hisoka and Gido or I will die trying. I include Gon because, not only is he my friend, he's your best friend and I know that you would never forgive me if I allowed him to be harmed."

"James," Killua breathed in surprise while Gon just glanced between the two of them; his brown eyes glistening with a wealth of emotion.

Nothing more was said between the three boys as they got ready for bed. Harry stuck around to play a few tame hands of Go Fish with the two boys while he listened to Gon and Killua chat about everything but Harry's upcoming matches or Gon's lost fight. The wizard bid them goodnight an hour later before he headed into his tent where he picked up the Dueler's Grimoire and read through the section on dirty dueling until he fell asleep on the couch.

Minky woke him up just before dawn as he'd asked her to do if he didn't wake up on his own. He then spent an hour stretching out and running through his morning calisthenics. After finishing his exercises, Harry took a quick shower and dressed for the day before he gave Minky a proper morning greeting (now that he was awake) which had quickly come to include a daily inspection of her tummy for evidence of the litter she was carrying.

The first time he'd asked to touch her belly, Minky had almost freaked out until Harry explained that he was fascinated by the knowledge that she was carrying another generation of house elves in her tummy. Harry would have reacted the same way if he'd had a female animal companion or a close female friend that had become pregnant as the creation of new life struck a chord within him due to all of the death that had surrounded him since the night his parents died. His fascination was not in any way perverted; it was more of a sense of wonder over the creation of a new life (or lives in Minky's case) that left him feeling awestruck.

Tummy inspection complete, Harry thanked Minky for the breakfast she'd made for all three boys, instructed her to make certain she got plenty of rest, pocketed the Dueler's Grimoire, and collected the food Minky had made before ducking out of the tent. Harry then dragged both twelve year olds out of bed and ordered them to go clean up and get dressed as he set the table and put out the food. He finished his portion of the food before the two boys finished getting ready for the day and wrote them a quick note letting them know that he was going to spend the day training and that he'd send Bodoro to keep them occupied.

The wizard then headed down to the first floor. The moment he stepped outside of the building, he was accosted by Flip and he greeted the eagle with a chin scratch and a treat before asking him to take a note to Bodoro with his request for the older man to watch over Gon and Killua while he trained for the rest of the morning. Letter sent; Harry made his way to the park that he'd been using for training since the day Bodoro had arrived and set about warding off a small section of the area so that he would have complete privacy in which to practice his spell casting. Harry then spent the remainder of the morning mastering a small handful of spells that he figured would come in handy during his upcoming matches.

He returned to his shared room on floor two-oh-five just a few minutes after noon feeling pleasantly worn out; the wizard had truly let loose with his magic for the first time in what seemed like years but was in actuality just a couple of months. He had also been pleased to note that he could maintain control of his wanded spells far easier than he could of his wandless spells right now. As Harry stepped through the door into the room, he was more than a little surprised to find a pair of angry and frustrated Hunters looking to chew pieces out of his hind end; apparently the men had learned of Harry's upcoming fights against Gido and his friends.

"Just what the hell were thinking when you scheduled three back to back matches against unknown opponents?" Wing angrily demanded as he shot to his feet and scowled at the wizard.

"I thought you had agreed not to fight against another Nen user until you'd viewed several fights in order to better understand what you will be facing when you enter the ring," Bodoro added, his tone more concerned and frustrated than angry.

"Only two of my opponents are unknowns and getting information on their abilities isn't going to be all that difficult because everyone will start talking about their past matches now that the news of their impending fights will have had time to spread as tickets to all three matches went on sale first thing this morning. While I would have preferred to watch at least a couple more fights first, I couldn't just put off facing those three for too long least they get cocky and make another attempt to force Gon or Killua to fight them."

"You do realize that if you lose to any one of them you're only going to make things worse, right?" Wing asked softly as his anger fled in the face of Harry's calm reply.

"I will not lose," Harry countered with Gryffindorish brashness that was tempered with Slytherinish smugness. "I will not be stepping in that ring in four days in order to fight for fame or glory; I will step into that ring and face each one of those bullies in order to teach them a valuable lesson."

"And what lesson is that?" Bodoro asked curiously as some of the worry left his features.

Harry smiled coldly as he answered, "Never fuck with those under the protection of an Evans." _Or a Potter_, Harry silently added in his mind.

"Okay," Wing murmured after he slowly dropped back into the chair he'd been sitting in when Harry first arrived. "Have you already put together a battle plan for your first match?"

"Aye."

"Would you mind sharing?" Bodoro inquired when Harry didn't make any attempt to elaborate.

"Complete and utter humiliation," Harry replied with a shark-like grin that would have sent even the Weasley twins running in fear. "I'm going to give all three of them a public 'spanking' that they won't soon forget."

After a simple lunch of sandwiches, the group sat down to re-watch Gon's match with Gido in order to dissect the man's Nen ability and make note of any weaknesses that could be exploited. Harry actually had to walk away from that discussion as the reminder of what had happened to Gon only fueled his temper and made it harder for him to wait until the scheduled matches to teach the bullies their lesson. Instead, Harry grabbed the bird books that Bill had sent him and spent nearly two hours reading about the short-toed snake eagle and the bee hummingbird in order to help him better understand his duel nature until Wing set him to working on his Nen training.

The next two days passed in much the same way with the only changes being to the individual whose fighting style was being dissected (Wing had purchased copies of the most recent fight that Gido's two companions had participated in), which spells Harry worked on mastering, and which aspect of his animagus training he worked on. Bodoro would occasionally spar with him in the evenings but he mostly left Harry to prepare for the upcoming matches and rest so that he would not be overly exhausted when it was time to face Gido. Wing stepped back as well, only helping Harry with his Nen training for a couple of hours here and there in the hopes of improving what little control he had over his aura before his match.

Harry would have continued the same schedule on the eighth as well if not for the unexpected surprise that Killua had sprung on him in the form of Zeno, Silva, and Kalluto Zoldyck arriving in the company of Gotoh, Canary, and another female butler that Harry didn't recognize. The sneaky little twelve year old had apparently called his father shortly after Harry had left to start his training on the morning of the fifth and had arranged for the Zoldycks to take the room that Killua would have been assigned if Harry hadn't insisted that the three of them bunk in the same room. Keying the five new arrivals into the wards took some fancy wand work from Harry so he could snag a strand of hair from each person.

Introductions were quickly made between the new arrivals and the trio's trainers (Wing and Bodoro had accepted that teaching one of the boys meant teaching all three of them practically from the start). The rest of the day was then spent discussing the various matches that all three fighters had participated in on their rise to the two-hundredth floor and watching a few of the more memorable fights that Harry (and the other two boys) had fought in. The fights that were given the most attention were those that took place on the final ten floors leading up to the two-hundredth floor and those fights where the three boys fought against one another.

Supper that night was eaten out at one of the fancier restaurants in town with the Zoldycks. The group ended up in a private dining room with Gotoh and Canary standing watch over the family instead of eating with them (the third butler currently in the kitchen monitoring the food preparations). Harry unexpectedly found himself seated next to Zeno at one end of the table while Silva sat with Killua, Kalluto, and Gon at the other end (their other three companions opting out of the meal).

The wizard couldn't help but feel slightly nervous over being separated from the three younger boys (not because he was worried that they would be harmed but because he was worried that he would be scolded for something he'd done or not done). He was also more than a little uncomfortable over the fact that Canary was standing guard over Killua and Kalluto instead of sitting down to eat. His discomfort stemmed from the fact that he was unused to the idea of a friend ignoring their own needs to watch over another while they ate. Harry was soon distracted from said discomfort by Zeno.

"I must admit that I am impressed over how quickly you moved up through the floors of Heaven's Arena given your lack of formal training and limited fighting experience," Zeno stated once everyone had been seated and the hostess had left the room. "I had expected it to take you at least another three or four months to get half as far as you did; especially after my grandson informed us that the three of you had signed up for one of the more challenging fight schedules instead of jumping classes based upon luck and skill."

"I've never been one to back down from a challenge and I dislike losing almost as much as I dislike being told that I can't do something," Harry quipped with a wry grin.

"You enjoy proving people wrong."

"That's part of it I suppose," Harry agreed as he glanced down at the menu in his hands. "Mostly I think I just enjoy surpassing my own limitations and other people's expectations."

"Self improvement is a worthwhile and admirable goal and it was easy to see that you had improved much over these past two months when we watched the videos of your fights," Zeno agreed as he glanced towards the other end of the table where Killua was currently entertaining his father and brother with the retelling of one of the many pranks that Harry had played on them during the previous month; giving the wizard a moment to compose himself after being surprised by the light praise (something that the teen was still unused to).

"Thank you, Mr. Zoldyck."

"Zeno."

"Maybe one day, sir."

"I will hold you to that, Mr. Evans."

"James."

"Maybe one day, young sir," Zeno countered with a small smirk that grew slightly larger when Harry started in surprise before he snorted in amusement at having his own words thrown back at him practically word for word.

The conversation came to halt at that point as the waitress arrived to deliver glasses of ice water and to see if they were ready to order yet. Harry took the opportunity to sneak a quick glance in Canary's direction before he dropped his eyes to his menu; an action that did not go unnoticed by any of the adults in the room. Once every one had given the woman their orders, the waitress withdrew from the room with promises to return shortly with their drinks.

"So, tell me Mr. Evans; how has your stay at the Heaven's Arena been so far?"

"It has been anything but boring," Harry replied as his eyes lit up with excitement behind his lightly tinted glasses, the threads of magic seared into his irises shifting faster in response to his heightened emotions. "I never imagined that there would be quite so many different types and styles of fighting forms or that it was possible to combine the different forms to create a completely new style. Trying to put together a new style that is both effective against a wide assortment of different styles and that feels natural for me to use has been challenging too. Bodoro has been a great help with that as has facing thousands of different opponents; though I doubt I would have gotten as far as I did as fast as I did if not for everything that Jacob and Gunter taught me during my time aboard the Kaijinmaru."

"I hear tell that you've caused a fair bit of mischief while you've been here as well," Zeno blandly stated as he smiled in response to Harry's enthusiasm.

"I have to keep the two menaces sitting at the other end of the table entertained somehow," Harry retorted unrepentantly as he briefly glanced at the two twelve year olds in question. "I can just imagine how much trouble those two would have missed getting into if I was not there to guide their efforts into far more productive avenues."

"Such as applying a thin layer of contact glue to all of the seats in one of the ring-side stadiums on floor one-ninety-six?" Silva inquired as he glanced over at Harry during a lull in his conversation with the three younger boys (everyone else in the room unaware of Harry's magic and therefore the spell he'd used in place of actual glue).

"No; they were far too busy rigging the faucets in all of the men's toilets on the first five floors to spray anyone that used them to help me set up that prank," Harry countered without missing a beat; drawing laughter from both older men and smirks from all three pre-teens.

Their food arrived not long after that and the group made small talk as they ate their food. Throughout the meal, Harry continued to sneak glances at Canary whenever he thought no one was paying attention to him. He even caught her looking at him a couple of times and the faint blush that dusted her cheeks each time he caught her looking his way made his heart skip a beat. Not even the not-so-subtle glares that Gotoh sent his way each time Canary blushed could dampen his mood.

After all six of them had finished their meal, they headed back to Heaven's Arena with the three butlers following a discreet distance behind. Knowing that he wasn't yet tired enough to sleep and feeling too antsy to sit and talk the night away; Harry politely excused himself from the group the moment they reached the entrance to the towering skyscraper. He then wandered in the direction of his training park while his thoughts wandered in a dozen different directions. The wizard was not far from the park when he suddenly found himself surrounded by fifteen burly thugs.

"We were asked to give you a message," an ugly thug with a nasty scar twisting his face stated as he slapped the heavy piece of pipe he carried against the palm of his left hand while the rest of the thugs laughed and jeered at the undersized teen.

"Oh, dear, I've just been accosted by the city's ugliest cockroaches; I'm so scared, I think I'm going to faint," Harry deadpanned as he glanced around him once. "Help me please; someone save me from these ugly brutes before I die of eternal boredom."

"Are you insulting us?" a short, brawny thug with a pair of switch blades demanded as he snarled at Harry.

"No, I was actually insulting cockroaches," Harry quipped back as he pretended to stifle a yawn.

"I'm going to enjoy bashing your face in with my fist," yet another thug growled as he loudly cracked his knuckles.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Harry taunted in return as he calmly began buttoning his cloak in preparation for the inevitable brawl. "Well? What are you waiting for…? If you intend to deliver the message you claim you have for me you'd better do so now, while you still can."

"Ha, ha, ha; hey, boss, he's threatening us," the smallest thug loudly crowed as he laughed hysterically.

"I have no need to make threats; I was simply stating fact," Harry corrected absently as he minutely shifted his stance in preparation of fending off the first attack that he sensed would be launched any moment.

"You need to shut up, runt," the first thug growled as he brandished his pipe at Harry. "If you continue to mouth off, you will only piss me off and that will make your message all that much more painful… you know what? I think I'd actually prefer to make the message we were told to give you even more painful than we were paid to make it whether or not you open your mouth again. I do so love the sound of breaking bones…"

"If you leave now, I will allow you to walk away with your lives and your bodies intact," a familiar voice stated in an emotionless tone as a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows.

A small sigh escaped his lips as he realized that Zeno or Silva must have sent Canary after him to keep an eye on him and he didn't know if he should be amused, insulted, or thankful for their foresight. If he hadn't been so lost in his thoughts he probably would have noticed her shadowing him but he'd not really been paying that much attention. It was the same reason that the thugs had been able to surround him so easily. Harry had actually expected to the bullies to either try threatening him themselves or to send someone to threaten him in their place far sooner.

"Oh, don't be that way now, sugar," the scar-faced thug purred as he leered at Canary. "Just give us a minute to wrap up tonight's business and we'll be happy to let you give us a real good time for the rest of the night; your lips would look great wrapped around my little lady killer."

Harry didn't even have time to get angry over the disgusting insinuation as within seconds of the man's lewd suggestion, Canary had bashed his face in with the ball end of her weighted baton. The beautiful apprentice butler then quickly dealt with another thirteen of the thugs while Harry wandlessly summoned the little laughing runt (who was no longer laughing) to his side and grabbed him in a choke-hold after he'd tried to flee from the scene. Less than a minute later, Harry was standing in a ring of unconscious, dying, and dead thugs.

"If you'll let that one go, I will be happy to finish dealing with the trash, James," Canary stated as she casually stepped over one of the dying thugs and approached Harry.

"As entertaining as that sounds, this particular little cockroach has some unfinished business he needs to take care of before he sleeps," Harry countered as he let go of the cowardly thug, spun him around, grabbed him by the front of the shirt, and yanked him so close that their noses were practically touching. The wizard's eyes then turned completely gold in his fury as he addressed the terrified thug, "You are to go crawling back to whoever it was that ordered you and your former friends to send me a message and you will tell them that the message has been delivered before you pack up your things and disappear. If I ever see your face again, you will wish for death before I am finished with you. Do you understand?"

"Y…yes sir!" the man blubbered out as he soiled his pants.

Harry released the man and shoved him backwards in order to get away from the stench now wafting from the man. He then watched as the man scampered off in the direction of Heaven's Tower and he let out a growl of annoyance over the confirmation that it had been at least one of the three bullies that had hired the thugs to take him out. He then let his irritation melt away when he caught sight of Canary watching him.

"So, was there any particular reason why you flew to my defense like an avenging angel?" Harry inquired with a small smile as he crossed the distance between them.

"Master Zeno was concerned for your safety when you took your leave from the others so unexpectedly and he asked me to keep an eye on you to prevent anyone from taking advantage of you while you were alone."

"I don't know whether or not I should feel insulted by the insinuation that I can't take care of myself."

"Master Zeno meant no offense; he merely did not wish for you to exhaust or injure yourself needlessly while dealing with any trash that dared accost you on the evening before your first match."

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I really don't have any reason to complain," Harry softly sighed as he turned to head back to Heaven's Arena as his desire to wander freely while he sorted out his thoughts had vanished after being ambushed by the thugs while Canary fell into step beside him. "Of course, it doesn't hurt that he sent the beautiful blue jay after me and not one of your older companions."

"Blue jay…?" Canary asked in a tone that promised pain if his reasons for the nickname were not to her liking.

"Well, I could have called you a song bird but song birds tend to be flighty little creatures whereas you are every bit as brave as a blue jay defending her nest. I used to watch the jays back home attack the local cats just for walking too close to their territory; never backing down from a larger opponent or giving up the fight until they'd chased off the fool who'd dared invade their territory. Like the blue jay, you only appear fragile for within your breast beats the heart of an eagle or maybe that of a lioness; a warrior through and through."

"And what manner of creature do you see yourself as, James?"

"Me…? Ah, well, it usually varies from day to day but tonight; tonight I am but a timid little hummingbird basking in the presence of an angel disguised as a jay."

* * *

**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	24. Grudge x Match x No One

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four: Grudge x Match x No. One

Canary grabbed hold of Harry's wrist, jerked him to a stop, and pulled him around to face her as she demanded, "Why do you keep flirting with me? What do you want from me?"

"I flirt with you because I like you," Harry replied with quiet sincerity. "You are beautiful, smart, strong, and you have a wicked sense of humor. I like the fact that you don't look at me with hero worship in your eyes, I enjoy the fact that I can hold a meaningful conversation with you, I admire your loyalty to the Zoldycks, I think you are damn sexy when you go into battle mode, and watching you fight is almost as big of a turn on as sparring with you. I also find it humbling that you were willing to give me a chance to get to know you after our rather hostile first meeting."

"And what is it you want from me?" Canary asked again as she tried to hide the flush that spread across her face.

"Nothing that you would not be willing to give me freely and I'd like to think I at least have your friendship. I wouldn't say no to having something more than friendship with you but if you aren't interested in me that way, then I would be satisfied with being your friend. And, if you really want me to stop flirting with you, I will."

Canary studied him for a long minute, her eyes searching his; her taller height allowing her to see over the top of his slightly tented glasses. After a moment, she nodded and released his arm before she began walking again and Harry fell into step beside her wondering what she was thinking. Based upon her body language, Harry would guess that she was either irritated or annoyed with him and he sighed silently to himself in regret over his forwardness. He should have known better given his rather poor track record in dealing with the opposite sex (the Yule Ball a prime example).

Before Harry knew it, the two of them were stepping out of the lift onto the floor where his assigned room was located and he paused for a moment to make certain there were no threats lingering nearby before heading towards the room he shared with Killua and Gon. He didn't know whether or not he should be surprised when Canary escorted him all the way to his room instead of turning down the hall that he knew led to the room where Zeno and Silva were spending the night. He knew that she was most likely just following orders to watch over him and not sticking to his side out of any interest in his person.

They'd just slowed to a stop outside of his room when Canary grabbed hold of his wrist again and pulled him around to face her once more. The fifteen year old was then taken completely off guard when Canary leaned forward to press her lips to his; giving him his first ever kiss. He froze in surprise for two heartbeats before he tentatively returned the kiss while his free hand ended up resting on Canary's waist for balance. None of Jacob and Gunter's lectures on sex and girls had prepared him for the actual experience and a small part of him briefly wondered why he had balked at gaining hands on experience earlier before the thought was lost amid the feelings invoked by the feel of her lips moving against his.

Harry had a one last fleeting thought that kissing Canary was far better than he had ever imagined it might be before his brain shut itself down when Canary boldly introduced him to the wonders of French kissing. A thin thread of his magic slipped free of his control the moment her tongue brushed his and rose to swirl around the pair as he lost himself to the new sensations assaulting his senses.

When Canary finally pulled back an eternity later, Harry's breathing was labored and his heart was pounding wildly (as if he'd just run for twenty miles straight while carrying a fifty pound sack of rocks). He was also more than a little disoriented from the kiss and feeling lightheaded due to the majority of his blood rushing south in order to allow his body to show his appreciation of all things Canary (something that would have mortified the wizard if he had realized how noticeable his reactions was). Harry's magic continued to lazily twine around the pair until it reluctantly withdrew back into his core as awareness gradually returned.

"Wow," Harry breathed as he opened eyes he didn't recall closing and found himself staring at Canary's mouth as he recalled the feel of her lips on his.

"I have just one thing to say," Canary stated as she reluctantly stepped out of Harry's loose embrace and Harry snapped his eyes up to meet her gaze instead of staring at her lips as he'd been doing for the past minute. "You had better not lose tomorrow; I will not stay with a boyfriend who is weak."

"Aye, aye; ma'am," Harry replied as he snapped off a smart salute that was spoiled by the dopy grin he was sporting.

Canary snorted and shook her head in a combination of amusement and exasperation before she leaned towards Harry in order to rap her knuckles loudly on the door behind him. She then stole another quick kiss from him before she turned and walked away. Harry watched her go until she turned the corner and he let out a soft sigh as he reached up to brush his fingers over his lips. It was at that point that the meaning behind Canary's words finally hit the fifteen year old; she had called him her boyfriend. Giddiness filled the wizard in that instant and his grin grew so wide that it practically split his face in half.

Harry leaned back against the door as he brought his hand up to trace his lips with his fingers once more as he relived every exquisite second of his first kiss. The blood that had slowly begun recirculating through his veins immediately rushed south once more as Harry closed his eyes in order to better recall the feel and taste of Canary's kiss. Any further reminiscing was cut short as the door Harry was leaning against was opened and he ended up sprawled out on the floor due to the unexpected loss of support.

"What are you doing on the floor, James?" Gon asked as he stared down at the wizard in confusion.

"Dying of embarrassment," Harry deadpanned as he purposefully banged the back of his head on the floor and tried to ignore the blush he could feel spreading over his face.

"Do you plan on sleeping on the floor, Mr. Evans?" Silva inquired around what suspiciously sounded like a laugh. "If you do, you might want to at least move away from the door first."

Harry groaned in mortification and he would have curled up in a ball and prayed for death if he thought it would do any good. Instead, he let out a heavy sigh as he half sat up before throwing himself into a backwards roll that transitioned into a handstand the moment his hands came in contact with the floor. He then flipped himself upright and spun around so he was facing the small audience that had witnessed his less than graceful entrance.

"How did you end up falling anyway?" Killua inquired from where he was sitting on the couch beside his father and younger brother. "I don't think I've ever really seen you that clumsy before unless you were only half awake or that time you had a concussion after a fight."

"No reason… no reason at all," Harry quickly replied as his face flushed an even deeper red as he began inching his way towards his tent in order to escape what looked to be a pending inquisition combined with a thorough razzing.

"I suppose it was a good thing my father sent Canary to keep an eye on you while you were out, if you have been having difficulties with your coordination," Silva stated in an off-hand manner. "Where is Canary? I could have sworn I sensed her approaching the room with you."

Harry froze as his eyes widened comically as he searched the room for a place to hide as he stuttered out, "She… she, uh, she just, um, d…dropped me off be…before she, er, left."

"Ah, I take it the two of you had an uneventful evening walk?" Silva asked pointedly, his lips twitching with suppressed amusement as he continued to watch the wizard fidget.

"Aside from the after hours urgent message delivery, yeah," Harry replied with a scowl as his embarrassment fell away over the reminder of the thugs that had attempted to accost him. A secretive little half smile soon replaced the scowl as he added, "Although, I must say it was rather entertaining to watch Canary sign for the delivery."

"So what was the message?" Gon asked curiously when Killua, Kalluto, and Silva all chuckled darkly in response to the last half of Harry's statement.

"That I will have two lessons to teach tomorrow instead of just one," Harry explained as the smile on his face turned positively feral. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go finish my preparations for tomorrow before I head off to bed early so that I can dream of territorial blue jays, avenging angels, and the sweet taste of heaven." Harry was so wrapped up in his memory of the kiss he'd shared with Canary that he didn't hear Gon asking what he'd meant by the taste of heaven while Silva chuckled softly.

In another suite of rooms, not far from the room Harry's shared with Gon and Killua, Canary was giving a verbal report to Zeno and Gotoh on what had happened with the thugs that had attempted to accost the young man she'd been tasked to keep an eye on for the night. Two floors beneath floor two-oh-five, a traumatized thug was giving a similar report to three crippled bullies; though the thug left out several pertinent facts (such as the fact that it had been the thugs that had been brutally beaten and not the intended target).

* * *

Harry began his opening attack on Gido before the official match even started by using psychological warfare; he purposefully didn't enter the stadium right away, letting the man think that his hired goons had completed their mission to take him out. When there was less than a minute left before he would be disqualified, Harry made his grand entrance to the shock of Gido and his friends. Harry boldly strode up to the ring with the rolling gate of a sailor; an image that was reinforced by the fact that Harry was dressed in nothing but a pair of breeches with his practice sword belted at his waist, a huge coil of heavy rope slung over his head and shoulder, and a folded sheet of canvas and a quarterstaff in his left hand.

Cheers, catcalls, and whistles rang out when Harry ignored the ramp leading up onto the ring and instead planted his hands on the floor of the ring (the quarterstaff laying parallel to the edge beneath both hands) and lifted his body up off the floor and into a handstand using nothing but his arms. A small smirk then curled his lips as he performed a series of standing back flips to get to the center of the ring where the referee and his opponent were waiting for him without dropping the rope, canvas sheet, or the staff. He then planted the butt of the staff at his side and propped himself up using the long pole as he cheekily saluted the referee.

"Talk about cutting it close, folks; our challenger has arrived just seconds before he would have been disqualified and entered the ring using a cheeky and showy display of gymnastics," Cocco, the announcer, called out as the noise from the crowd died down to a dull roar. "It appears that Mr. Evans has also forgone his usual mode of dress that included a leather trench coat over a shirt, long pants, and heavy knee high leather boots. The pint-sized prize fighter that soared through the first two hundred levels of Heaven's Arena in record time while facing well over one thousand opponents in order to reach the two hundredth floor opting instead to wear nothing more than a pair of knee length shorts and going barefoot."

"And I don't know about the rest of you ladies out there that are watching but I, for one, am certainly glad he did. At seventeen years of age and standing at a whopping five foot three and a half inches; James Evans is certainly one delicious, if short, looking specimen with a finely toned body that he'd previously kept hidden beneath his trench coat. I'm certain that I'm not alone when I say that I'd be willing to stand in line in order to fight for a chance of becoming Mrs. Evans or even of just getting an up close and personal view of the delectable body that Mr. Evans is currently putting on display for the masses. And ladies, I don't see any tan lines from here…"

Harry had to fight the blush that he felt spreading across the back of his neck, over his chest, and up his face in response to the insinuating comments that the announcer was making. He was also more than a little uncomfortable over having his looks and body commented on; something he'd never particularly enjoyed even when the comments were positive in nature. That was on top of the annoyance he felt over the comments regarding his height (or rather the lack thereof).

"Although, I do have to wonder what in the world Mr. Evans was thinking by coming to this match wearing so little protection; if maybe his ego has been inflated by his rapid climb through the tower or if his brain was addled from one too many blows to the head. He's completely left himself open to some serious damage from Gido's dancing tops by stripping away the little protection his trench coat would have offered him against the tops. His choice of weapons is also rather strange as I can see no way for him to effectively use both a sword and a quarterstaff nor do I see the logic in dragging along such a heavy coil of rope and a sheet of fabric."

"All I can say for sure is that the coming match is going to be either really quick and brutal or really exciting and entertaining."

"This match will be scored using the point and knock out system. All weapons are allowed and there will be no time limit," the referee announced at that point and Harry straightened up as he lifted the coil of rope off of his shoulder and dropped it on the floor at his feet alongside of the canvas sheet while keeping one end of the rope and a corner of the sheet in his left hand before he grabbed the quarterstaff with both hands and turned it to rest horizontally against his thighs. "Ready? Begin!"

The referee then high tailed it out of the ring while Gido sent out his first batch of dancing tops and Harry simply stood there with his eyes closed and focused on his magic. The tops were quick to spread out and surround the wizard (much like they had circled Gon during the twelve year old's match) and still Harry ignored them. The crowd began to murmur in discontent when a good five minutes had passed with nothing happening but Harry blocked out the sound as he continued to focus on his magic; his eyes turning completely gold beneath his eyelids due to the sheer level of power coursing through him.

"I'm beginning to fear that Mr. Evans is suicidal; not only does he have practically no protection against Gido's dancing tops, he's not making any move to defend himself or escape the ring of tops encircling him," Cocco announced in a confused and worried tone.

Shortly after that rather discouraging announcement, one of the tops collided with another one and sent it flying for Harry's seemingly unprotected back. That was the moment that Harry had been waiting for and he snapped his head up as he opened his eyes while bringing the quarterstaff up to chest height. He then slammed the butt of the quarterstaff on the floor while releasing a powerful wandless banishing charm that exploded from his body in an ever widening spiral. All of the tops spinning on the floor around him in addition to the one that had been about to hit him were blasted right out of the ring to slam into the protective walls that surrounded the floor of the stadium.

"I take back every critical word I said!" Cocco cried in excited shock. "Mr. Evans just blasted all of Gido's dancing tops right off of the ring with nothing more than his force of will! What an amazing show of power folks! Be still my beating heart, ladies; he's got both looks and power! Does he have the brains to go with it to make an unbeatable combo that will have us falling at his feet in no time? And what will Mr. Evans do next? Will Gido attempt another attack before our shirtless challenger makes a counterattack?"

"You annoyed me when you and your friends ignored my silent warning not to bully my two companions," Harry stated in a cold voice that filled the entire stadium despite the fact that he hadn't raised his voice while he began funneling his magic into the quarterstaff, rope, and canvas. "However, you truly pissed me off last night when you completely disregarded my second warning not to attempt to cheat in order to escape the lesson that I am here to teach you today."

"How…?" Gido demanded in return; the anger and fear in his unmistakable. "I was told that the attack last night was exceptionally brutal!"

"Oh it was; however, I'm not the one that was on the receiving end nor did I have to lift a finger to put down fourteen of the fifteen lawless thugs you hired to put me out of commission," Harry replied as he gave Gido a vicious smile. "I even made certain that the last thug was capable of informing you that your message had been received. Now it's my turn to pass along a message; you bloody well messed with the wrong person."

Harry let go of the quarterstaff at the same time as he activated the spells that he'd layered the staff, rope, and canvas over the past handful of evenings; causing the staff to shoot up like a tree, pulling the rope and canvas with it. In less than two minutes, the ring had been transformed into a ship's deck complete with a single mast, furled sail, rigging lines, and four sets of ratlines that were attached to the four edges of the ring's platform in order to hold the mast upright. Even the floor tiles had been covered with a layer of wooden planks to simulate the deck of a ship. A stunned silence filled the stadium for fifteen full seconds before the crowd cheered and whistled over the rather impressive transformation.

A small part of Harry wondered if his display could be construed as breaking the Statute of Secrecy before that part was smothered out by the memory of Gon, Killua, Zushi, and Wing performing magic-like feats through the use of Nen. He then actively forced his mind to focus entirely on the task at hand, least he make a stupid mistake while trying to teach Gido a lesson.

Stage set to his personal preferences, Harry addressed Gido once more, "You may have far more experience in fighting inside of this ring but this ring has now become my stage and I will make you dance to my tune. I hope you spent some time last night praying for the gods to have mercy upon your soul because _I_ _will not_."

Gido's response was to fire a dozen tops at Harry like bullets from a gun. Harry actually laughed out loud as he tightened his hold on the end of the rope he still held in his left hand, took a step backwards to make the rope go taunt, and began running as fast as he could. Harry was airborne a heartbeat later and the crowd gasped as he headed right for the deadly barrage of tops. Thunderous applause, catcalls, and whistles rang out just seconds later as Harry caught the tops in his bare hand one at a time (as if they were harmless snitches) and fired them right back at Gido in rapid succession with the help of several wandless Banishing Charms. The peg-legged man danced and hopped about like a clown in order to avoid being cut down with his own tops.

"I can hardly believe my eyes!" Cocco exclaimed breathlessly. "Mr. Evans just plucked Gido's tops right out of the air like they were flowers in a field _with his bare hand_! I have never seen anything so reckless and breathtaking and let me tell you the display of skill and power is quite the turn on. I'm single and available tonight for a hot date in your private suite, Mr. Evans."

"I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere for entertainment, ma'am," Harry stated as his feet hit the deck once more and he slowed to a stop on the opposite side of the ring as the shocked Gido (his magic still carrying his voice to every ear in the stadium). "I'm happy to say that I am already spoken for and have no interest in anyone else."

"Did you hear that folks? That was the sound of several hundred hopeful hearts including mine shattering as our hopes of scoring with Mr. Evans are dashed to pieces like fine china on the floor."

Harry tuned the woman out from that point forward as he focused entirely on the fight and dealt with the tops that Gido continued to send out in a different way each time. It didn't take long for the crippled man to run out of ammunition and Harry finally moved forward as if he was going to attack the man for the first time. Gido didn't hesitate to activate his spinning top defense and Harry slid to a stop well out of range of the man-sized top that could easily send him flying if he wasn't careful.

That was exactly what Harry had wanted the man to do though and he quickly formed an extra large lasso with the end of the rope he still held in his hand and tossed it so that it dropped down over Gido. Harry then let a feral grin slide across his face as he waited for the loop to reach the man's waist before he yanked it hard and the slip knot that formed the lasso snapped shut; effectively capturing the spinning man. The slack in the rope was quickly pulled taunt due to the man's spinning and in a matter of seconds, Gido was quickly rising off the ground due to his spinning.

Gido let out a cry of fright the moment he realized what had happened when his momentum eventually slowed to a stop and he ended up dangling several meters off the ground. He hung motionless in the air for half a second before gravity reasserted itself and the man's weight caused the rope to unwind so fast that he crashed onto the floor hard enough to send up a cloud of dust.

"Critical hit and knock down! Two points for Mr. Evans!" the referee called out from where he was watching the fight from outside of the ring.

Gido coughed as he rolled over onto his stomach before pushing himself up with his hands until he could hop back up onto his prosthetic leg. The bully then attempted to free himself from the rope that was snugly and more than a little painfully wrapped around his waist.

"Don't bother; that rope isn't coming off until I personally take it off," Harry instructed as he walked over to the nearest ratline and began nimbly climbing up the netted rope support ladder until he reached the top of the mast. The wizard then untied the rope that was holding Gido and hauled up the slack until Gido was being held approximately two centimeters off the ground; making it impossible for him to use his Tornado Top (since all he'd do was spin himself dizzy and tangle himself up in the rope if he did).

Once he had the man where he wanted him, Harry retied the rope and grabbed another loose tie line before he dove down off the top of the mast; making more than a few people in the audience scream as he plunged seemingly to his death. Just before he hit the hard floor of the ring, the rope pulled taunt and Harry swung up and around in an arch. The moment he reached the arch's apex, Harry let go of the rope and executed several somersaults before he landed lightly on the deck covered floor of the ring in a handstand that transitioned into a forward roll that let him spring up onto his feet which had the crowd going wild once more.

The fifteen year old then walked up to Gido and settled into a fighter's stance as he coldly ordered, "Now, Gido, we have a proper fight; no more tricks and toys, just you and me and our fists. Or have you forgotten the skills that you would have needed to reach the two-hundredth floor in the first place? Then again, you're nothing but a pathetically weak bully that preys upon those who are unprepared to face the fighters on this level. Any sympathy I might have had for what you suffered under another bully to make you end up in the condition that you are in died when it became apparent that you have no qualms about subjecting others to the same torment and enjoy crippling those you face."

Harry then spent the next twenty minutes completely and utterly humiliating Gido as the man attempted to block Harry's punches and kicks and counter attack while spinning and swinging back and forth from the blows that were traded. It was patently clear to everyone that was watching that Harry was purposefully drawing out the fight as he didn't bother finishing the fight in one blow like he had with most of his previous fights (whenever possible). He racked up seven points for seven clean hits in those twenty minutes all the while explaining to Gido in explicit detail what would happen if he ever again tried to threaten anyone under his protection or if he sought to cheat in order to win a fight.

At the end of those twenty minutes, Harry ended the spells that had transformed the ring into a ship deck before he grabbed hold of Gido and used his signature rolling throw; tossing the man out of the ring where he slammed into one of the padded sections of the walls lining the stadium so hard that he was knocked unconscious.

"Critical hit and knockdown; three points," the referee called out as he hopped up onto the ring now that the battle was over. "Winner by knockout; James Evans!"

Harry bowed to the referee and gave a jaunty salute to the crowd before he gathered up the props he'd used for the fight while Cocco summarized the entire match, lamented over the fact that Harry wasn't single, and speculated on how Harry would top today's performance in his second match the next day. The wizard calmly coiled the rope and slung it over his shoulder again, neatly folded the canvas sheet and tucked it under his arm, and hoped down from the ring. He then strolled leisurely towards the hall leading back to the locker room while whistling a lively tune Jacob had taught him and using the quarter staff as a walking stick.

As he stepped into the shadows, Harry sensed another's presence blocking the hallway and his eyes returned to the gold threaded green that they'd become after he'd been 'awakened' by Wing as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He slowed to a stop and bowed low before he cheekily asked, "Was my lady jay pleased with this humble deckhand's performance?"

"It was adequate enough to be satisfactory," Canary allowed as her eyes dropped down to rake across his bare chest before she glanced back up at his face. "However, listening to the commentary from the peanut gallery as she drooled into her microphone over what is mine was distinctly unpleasant."

"I had not expected the announcer to be so crude at such a public event while she was working or I'd have reconsidered my attire for today's match. I was looking to brazenly thumb my nose at Gido's abilities and I am far more comfortable running around a ship's deck dressed as I am because this was what I wore for the better part of six months while I was aboard the Kaijinmaru."

"And will you wear the same thing for tomorrow match?"

"Hmm… no; didn't plan to. I have a very different stage in mind for when I teach Sadaso his lesson," Harry replied with a brief shake of his head as he learned against the quarterstaff.

Canary nodded as she stepped to one side so that she was no longer blocking the hallway and waited for Harry to step forward before she began walking towards the locker room. After a few minutes, she curiously asked, "So, which animal were you out there in the ring today?"`

"A seagull or possibly a crow," Harry replied after a moment's consideration. "Both birds tend to attack those creatures they see as weak whether or not they are hungry. Tomorrow, I think I will be a harrier and drive my prey into a panic before I finish him off."

"I had not expected you to draw today's fight out for as long as you did."

"Ah, but I wasn't fighting today, my lady jay; today was about teaching a bully a few of life's most important lessons."

"And what lessons were those?"

"That it is unwise to provoke an angry dragon by jabbing at it with a sharp, pointy stick, that cheaters will not prosper when all is said and done, that bullies will always get what is coming to them in the end, and that cheap tricks are no substitute for true skill."

"And how many of those lessons do you think will stick?"

"None of them; most bullies are notoriously stupid, after all, and they are always quick to fall back into old habits the moment the lesson begins to fade from their minds."

"Then why bother attempting to teach the lesson at all? Why not just kill them and be done with it?"

"Taking my frustrations out on bullies that can't learn their lesson is a great stress reliever and an excellent anger management tool," Harry quipped with a shark-like grin. "Plus, public lessons in humility will discourage other bullies who are smarter and therefore more dangerous from getting involved as they will not wish to potentially end up in the same position."

"Clever and cruel," Canary remarked as they entered the locker room where they were met by Gotoh.

"Master Zeno wishes to know where you'd like to celebrate your triumph, Mr. Evans," Gotoh stated as he took in Harry's underdressed form and the fact that Canary was standing so close to him.

"Please tell Mr. Zoldyck that a feast has already been prepared and delivered to the room I share with the boys; I ordered the feast last night in anticipation of the outcome of today's match," Harry replied as he once again propped himself up on the quarterstaff he was carrying.

"I shall pass along your message," Gotoh replied as he once again glanced between the two teens.

"Thank you."

The man inclined his head just the slightest bit before he glared hard at the teen in warning before he exited the locker room. Harry let out a sigh and pretended to wipe the sweat from his brow only to yelp indignantly when Canary unexpectedly slapped him upside the back of the head. Harry pouted as he rubbed the back of his head but she just gave him an impish grin before she pushed him towards the shower stalls and ordered him to clean himself up because he stank. Harry grumbled all the way to the showers about bossy girls; an undercurrent of amusement lacing his tone and a slight smile on his face.

Ten minutes later, he was standing in front of Canary once more, cheekily holding his arms out to the side as he spun in place; a silent inquiry as to whether or not his appearance passed her inspection. Canary rolled her eyes over his playful antics as the corners of her lips turned up just the slightest bit. She then stepped forward to kiss him for the second time and to Harry's surprise and enjoyment; the kiss easily surpassed the first kiss they'd shared the night before. The wizard would walk around for the rest of the afternoon and all night with a small dopy grin on his face; a grin that always grew just a bit larger each time he glanced in Canary's direction.

Harry never noticed the smug, satisfied grin worn by Zeno Zoldyck that afternoon as they feasted on the elf-made meal that the group had found in the hotel room when they arrived (the teen had asked Minky to make the feast the night before and set it out under warming charms as soon as their room was empty; the little mother-to-be had been utterly excited to have such an important task assigned to her).

* * *

**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	25. Grudge x Match x No Two

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five: Grudge x Match x No. Two

Harry sighed as he slipped into his tent around ten p.m. on the ninth; the wizard tired but in a very good mood despite the fact that he'd be facing yet another bully tomorrow afternoon. After the rather boisterous party that had lasted well after sunset (Killua, Gon, and Kalluto had been exceptionally loud and rambunctious), Harry had gone for another walk outside so that he could check up on the matching menaces. Unlike the previous night, there had been no attempts to ambush the wizard as he wandered the streets with Canary at his side (Harry picked up on her presence right away this time) and his eagles tracking him from overhead.

The fifteen year old wizard had earned himself several rather heated kisses when he'd asked Canary if he could take her out on an official date after he finished his third match. She'd then readily agreed to the date; providing he cleared it with Zeno and Gotoh first (the former because he was her employer and the latter because he was something of a father to Canary on top of being her immediate supervisor). Harry had disliked the idea of needing Gotoh's permission to take his girlfriend out on a date but that hadn't stopped him from approaching the man as soon as the two of them had returned to Heaven's Arena.

Gotoh had been less than pleased that Harry was seeking his permission to take Canary out on a date and had proceeded to put Harry through a rather bizarre test that required him to accurately guess which hand the man used to catch the coin he tossed into the air. Harry had given the man a fifty pence coin to use in place of the ten Jenny coin he'd originally planned to use and it had taken all of Harry's self control not to smirk when the man had given him a dirty look over the unspoken accusation that he had intended to cheat.

In truth, Harry had given him the British coin because _he_ intended to cheat; the coin he'd handed over to the man had a tracking spell on it. It had been an underhanded trick but Harry hadn't been about to upset his girlfriend by failing the man's test. Gotoh had been less than pleased when Harry rather easily passed his test and Harry could feel the man's displeasure over the fact that his passing meant that Harry grudgingly had his permission to take Canary on a date.

Getting Zeno's permission had been even easier; all he had to do was mention Canary and date in the same sentence and the Zoldyck patriarch couldn't give his permission fast enough. If Harry hadn't been so excited about the prospect of taking Canary on a date, he might have been more suspicious over how quickly Zeno agreed. As it was, Harry's mind had immediately jumped to the dilemma of where he was going to take Canary on their date and what they were going to do.

He was still wondering what to do for his date when he fell asleep just minutes after crawling into bed.

* * *

Harry calmly walked down the ramp towards the Ring where Sadaso was waiting as he balanced a five gallon bottle of water on his shoulder. Unlike the previous day, his entrance was neither late nor flashy. He was also wearing a pair of black jeans, a deep blue t-shirt, the red sash Gunter had given him, Jacob's old hat, practice sword, and his dragon hide boots, gloves, and cloak instead of his sailor's breeches. As he approached the ring, Harry studied Sadaso while he reviewed what he'd learned from the video of the man's last match about his Nen ability.

"Welcome to this morning's main event, ladies and gentlemen; Sadaso versus James Evans," Cocco announced as Harry stopped in the center of the ring and set his bottle of water down on the ground at his feet and used the movement to block his right hand as he cast a containment spell on all four corners of the ring. "Today our challenger is not only on time for his scheduled fight but he is dressed in his usual outfit complete with trench coat; much to the disappointment of a number of ladies in the audience today, including myself."

"And while Mr. Evans performed beyond our wildest expectations yesterday, we have to wonder what he was thinking about scheduling three fights back to back. Will our intrepid challenger eek out another win or will he be pounded into the ground by Sadaso's invisible fist? I also have to wonder what Mr. Evans has planned for today's match as his staff, canvas, and rope are no where in sight and the bottle of water he carried in with him defies all logic. I'm certain that I'm not alone when I say I'm looking forward to seeing what new tricks our challenger will pull out of his hat today!"

"This match will be scored using the point and knock out system. All weapons are allowed and there will be no time limit," the referee declared the moment Cocco finished speaking and Harry used his foot to tip the water bottle over onto its side before he hopped up onto the bottle while maintaining a precarious balance as the water inside of the bottle began pouring out onto the floor. "Ready? Begin!"

Like the referee from the day before, the man overseeing their match hurriedly backed off the ring as the puddle of water began rapidly expanding over a far larger area than a mere five gallons could have covered normally. In truth, the five gallon water bottle that Harry had carried in with him held closer to a hundred and fifty gallons of water courtesy of a Limited Expansion Charm and a Featherweight Charm Harry had cast on the bottle. As the water continued to pour out of the bottle, Harry spun the bottle around in a circle using his feet while at the same time rolling it around in order to spread the water faster.

At the same time, Sadaso formed a misty white hand from his aura and made his first attempt to grab Harry. Harry dodged the grab at the last second by crouching down low without falling from his unstable perch on the water bottle's side as the hand soared right over his head. The Nen arm bent back on itself as the hand turned around to make a second grab and this time Harry launched himself up into the air to avoid hand. The second he landed down on the bottle once more, he spun it so that it rose back up into a standing position now that it was empty.

Once he was steady, Harry brought his hands together in front of his chest as if he was going to pray before he thrust them down towards his sides and out as he cast a wandless Banishing Charm towards the floor that spread the water out further. Following right on the heels of the Banishing Charm, Harry cast a Freezing Charm that froze the water into ice in a radiating circle. Perched as he was up on the water bottle, Harry was safe from the newly formed ice while Sadaso was not that lucky; the other man slipping and sliding before landing heavily on his back when he couldn't gain purchase on the slippery ice after he'd jumped to avoid being frozen in place.

When both the water and ice reached the edge of the ring, the containment ward Harry had cast earlier held the water inside of the ring and forced it up so that it created a short wall the moment the Freezing Spell reached the edges. The ring had now been turned into a self contained ice skating rink.

While Sadaso was attempting to regain his feet, Harry cast one half of the Sailor's Savior Spell onto the ice and the other half onto his boots before he stepped down off the bottle, broke the bottle free of the ice, and tossed the bottle out of the rink to get it out of the way. Another couple of spells smoothed the hole in the ice from where the bottle had been caught so that the floor was now entirely smooth. A polishing spell further increased the slipperiness of the ice and sent Sadaso back to the ground a second time before the man could even get all the way to his feet.

"Did you need a hand up off the floor or were you intending on staying down there on the ground in order to grovel for mercy?" Harry asked tauntingly as he crossed the ring without slipping thanks to the Sailor's Savior Spell.

"You will be the one groveling and begging for mercy before I am finished with you!" Sadaso hissed back as he stopped trying to get up onto his feet and sent his Nen arm grabbing for Harry a third time.

"And just how do you plan to do that when you can't even stand up?" Harry mockingly inquired as he easily side stepped the misty white hand that had attempted to wrap around him; the magic living in his eyes easily allowing him to see the hand while his enhanced sixth sense allowed him to evade the hand when it came back for yet another grab.

His opponent scowled as he sat upon the ice before his Nen hand split into two Nen hands that attempted to catch Harry in a pincer move. The second hand had been an unexpected surprise for the wizard but he took its appearance in stride as he ducked, jumped, and wove his way out of each attempt to capture him. In a way, the additional hand made no difference to Harry's strategy aside from forcing Sadaso to tire himself out just that much faster. Of course, that didn't mean that he didn't have to pay attention in order to avoid getting caught up in the suffocating hands of pure aura.

"What's wrong? No more witty remark? Are you too frightened to stand and fight?" Sadaso taunted from where he was sitting and shivering on the ice as he continuously chased after Harry with his Nen hands.

"No, I was just enjoying the warm up," Harry tossed casually replied as he back flipped out of yet another pincer move.

"Are you sure you can afford to play around here?" Sadaso asked slyly as he split his Nen hands once more so that there were now four hands chasing after the wizard.

"Oh? Is this the part where you threaten me?"

"No; but if you don't forfeit within the next five minutes, your pretty little girlfriend won't be very pretty any more."

Harry actually burst into laughter and lost his footing on the ice for a split second over the notion that someone could get the drop on Canary. He was still laughing when he dropped backwards into a controlled roll to avoid the four hands that had come at him from all different directions. Despite the fact that he found the notion of Canary being turned into a damsel in distress amusing, there was a small part of him that was concerned and bothered by the idea of someone using Canary against him.

"Why are you laughing? Don't you care what happens to your girlfriend?"

"Of course I care what happens to her," Harry retorted as he slid out of yet another trap. "I'm laughing because you're under the impression that my girl is unable to take care of herself. I hate to break it to you… but I really hope who ever it was that you sent after her was not a very close friend because my blue jay won't pull her punches."

"And can she take care of herself when faced with fifty-to-one odds? Can she still fight if her arms have been broken? Or if they've been removed?" Sadaso snidely demanded as he split his arms yet again so that there were now eight of them chasing Harry about the ring. "Better yet, can she still fight if she is dead? And what of the two little boys you've been protecting? Can they protect themselves without you there to hold their hands?"

Harry slid to a stop and ducked under one last attack as his temper, which he'd been holding in check for the most part, ignited over the implied threat. His eyes turned completely gold as he spun on his foot and took a single step in the direction of Sadaso before there was a bright flash of gold and he was suddenly standing right in front of the man. Harry grabbed hold of the man's over tunic with both hands as he pulled him up off the floor so that they were face to face.

"Congratulations, jackass, you just succeeded in pissing me off," Harry growled out before he punched Sadaso in the face; breaking the man's nose and sending him skidding across the ring.

"Clean hit! One point for Mr. Evans," the referee announced from where he was peering over the ice rink wall.

Before Sadaso could hit the wall, Harry appeared behind him in another flash of gold and kicked him in the back; the blow doing far more damage than it normally would do to the man's momentum from the previous blow. Sadaso bent over backwards as Harry's foot connected with him before he was suddenly flying across the ring in the opposite direction once more.

"Critical hit! Two points for Mr. Evans!"

Harry drew his sword and stepped again, intercepting Sadaso yet again in another flash of gold. He swung his weighted practice sword with both hands and caught the flying man across the stomach. Sadaso spit up blood from the force of the blow but Harry didn't stop there as he pulled his wooden blade clear and pushed Sadaso back at the same time as the man windmilled his one arm in an effort to remain on his feet. The wizard then spun around and slammed the flat of the blade across the man's back hard enough that Sadaso let out a scream of agony as his spine snapped with a loud crack.

"Critical hit! Two points to Mr. Evans!"

Harry grabbed hold of Sadaso and lifted him up into the air before he slammed him down hard on the ice, further damaging the man's back. Sadaso cried out again and coughed up more blood before he managed to wrap Harry up in his Nen hands when Harry straightened up and sheathed his sword. The moment the hands wrapped around him, Harry felt as if he'd been dropped into a pool of frozen slush; it was so cold that it burned.

"Critical hit! Two more points to Mr. Evans," the referee called even as Harry was lifted up into the air by Sadaso's invisible arms.

Sadaso grinned through his pain as he watched the smaller male glare at him through the misty white Nen hands from several feet up in the air. Harry let the man think he'd won for all of two minutes before he retaliated by unleashing his Ren for the first time during a match. Sadaso screamed in sheer agony the moment Harry's Ren came into contact with his Nen arm; the golden flames of wild magic scalding him in an instant despite the limited protection his Nen offered. The golden flames rapidly spread outwards from the wizard until they were spilling out over the edge of the frozen ring; the heat rolling off the uncontained magic rapidly melting and evaporating the ice as the Freezing Charm was unraveled by the raw, wild magic.

When the Nen hands holding Harry up off the ground finally broke and gave way under the pain that Sadaso was feeling from Harry's wild magic, Harry dropped down and plowed his elbow right into Sadaso's stomach as he landed on the ground. That move earned Harry yet another two points and brought his total points up to nine. Harry then picked up the now paralyzed bully and hauled him up so that they were face to face once again.

"I hope you made out your will," Harry hissed at the terrified man. "If not for your attempt to get to me through my girlfriend and my friends, I would have allowed you the chance to live and learn from your mistakes but I'm not in a very forgiving mood right now."

"I was only bluffing!" Sadaso cried out desperately as Harry began spinning the man around.

"I don't fucking care at this point," Harry retorted coldly as he released the man and cast a wandless Banishing Charm at the same time.

Sadaso screamed as he flew threw the air. His scream cut off abruptly just five seconds later as he slammed headfirst into the wall; the impact breaking his neck and killing him instantly. Harry watched the broken man hit the floor like a rag doll before he turned his back on the now dead bully and began heading back towards the locker room.

"Critical hit! Knockout! Winner; James Evans!" the referee called as the medics rushed out to deal with Sadaso's corpse; no one yet realizing the other man was dead and not just unconscious.

The crowd went wild but Harry ignored them as he continued walking without looking back; golden flames of pure magic still raging wildly around him as his anger continued unabated. He stepped into the hallway leading to the locker rooms just a minute later to find the normally dimly lit corridor almost pitch black; more than half of the lights lining the walls broken. The sound of flesh hitting flesh accompanied by the sound of groans, grunts, and curses filled the hallway as the sound of the still cheering crowd fell away when the wizard moved further down the hallway.

A silent _Lumos_ sent a streak of golden flames rushing along the ceiling of the hallway and quickly shed light on the battle that had been taking place within the confines of the hallway. Littered up and down the hallway were several bleeding and broken bodies of the thugs that had been hired by Sadaso to kidnap or harm Canary. In the center of the carnage, Canary was currently defending herself from those thugs that hadn't fallen to her weighted baton.

All it took was a one glance to know that the young black girl had been injured (due to the way she was favoring her right arm and side) and that she'd been disarmed (her baton not anywhere in his line of sight).

The instant that he realized his girlfriend had been hurt, Harry's temper (which had already been out of control due to Sadaso's earlier insinuations) skyrocketed to new heights as he threw himself into the fray with a cry of pure fury. A step and a flash of gold and Harry appeared a good six feet off the ground right in front of the huge man that had just been about to punch Canary. Canary would strategically withdraw to the wall the moment she recognized Harry in order to avoid getting caught up in the attack he had obviously just set up.

His wand made its way into his hand without conscious thought and a Blasting Curse hit the huge man in the face at point blank range; killing him instantly. At the same time, the entire corridor became washed in green light when the golden flames of his rage fueled Ren turned Killing Curse green as Harry's rage turned murderous. Screams and curses rang out as the thugs still breathing were burned alive by the searing heat of Harry's unchecked magic as it rapidly filled the entire corridor (bar the small pocket that had formed around Canary to protect her from his fury).

A few of the thugs attempted to flee the scene but they didn't get very far as the moment Harry's feet touched down on the floor, he went after them. With each step he took, a flash of gold would cut through the eerie green light of the magical flames as Harry cut through time and space to reach the men that had dared to harm Canary to get to him. His wand cut through the air time and time again spitting out Blasting Curses and Cutting Curses without even the slightest of hesitation.

The fight was over two minutes later and all that remained of Canary's attackers were several piles of charred ashes that shifted in the air currents stirred by the heat of Harry's still raging magic and their scattered weapons that had been left untouched. The eerie green fire slowly faded back to gold the moment Harry registered that all of thugs had been dealt with and his temper cooled to a slow and steady burn from the raging wild fire it had been as he returned his wand to his left bracer. Gold eyes had then searched for and found a wide eyed Canary leaning up against the wall as she cradled her obviously broken arm and watched him.

Harry approached her slowly while the flames surrounding him gradually dissipated as his magic slowly withdrew into his body with each step he took. The whites and pupils of his eyes returned to their normal colors as the last of the flames vanished, leaving him with golden irises as he stopped right in front of Canary. He searched her eyes intently for any traces of fear or disgust before the knot in his stomach that he hadn't even known was there unraveled as he found nothing but a mixture of surprise, awe, satisfaction, and desire laced with a trace of pain and lingering irritation that he knew wasn't directed at him.

"They hurt you," Harry stated needlessly as his eyes zeroed in on the blood that was trickling down the side of Canary's face from a long shallow cut on the side of her temple where one of the thugs had caught her with a glancing blow using his knife.

"Mostly just my pride," Canary replied as she glanced away from Harry in shame.

"They did this because of me," Harry countered in a low voice laced with pure fury and bitter regret as he reached out to lightly run his left fingers along the bleeding cut on her face and willed his magic to heal the wound without bothering to use any of the healing spells he'd taught himself.

Canary gasped in surprise as his magic washed through her as the torn tissue and skin knitted itself back together seamlessly while washing away the pain. Harry's hand dropped down to lightly cup her shoulder next to heal the torn rotator cuff from when her baton had been ripped from her grasp. Next, he gently pulled her broken arm free of her grip and willed his magic to numb the pain as he set the break before urging his magic to heal the bones and injured tissues. Harry then lifted her arm up out of way and held it there with his right hand while he lightly let his left hand run down her side to heal the deep bruises and cracked ribs there.

His magic then flooded her body searching for any other injuries he hadn't noticed; healing each and every bruise and numbing her pain as it rushed through her. Canary gasped again before she moaned softly; both in relief from the sudden absence of pain and from the feeling of Harry's magic moving through her so intimately. Once his magic had finished healing even the smallest of her injuries, it withdrew and Canary let out a soft whine of protest as she slumped against Harry's chest; the sixteen year old exhausted from the extensive healing on top of her recent fight against the hired thugs.

Harry then gently cradled her face in his hands as he initiated a rather passionate kiss; the first such kiss that Harry had initiated since they'd become a couple the night before his first match. The wizard poured his soul into that kiss in an effort to reassure himself that Canary was there in his arms and relatively unharmed. Magic swirled wildly around the pair as all conscious control of his magic fled in the wake of the potent emotions that were washing through the fifteen year old wizard. An eternity later, Harry reluctantly broke the kiss and brushed a dozen fleeting kisses over Canary's face before he drew back and opened gold irises once more.

"Will you be alright now, my lady jay?" Harry huskily inquired as his hands dropped from her face to her waist in order to hold her steady as she swayed lightly on her feet.

"Hmm, I think so," Canary breathed as she pressed her face into the crook of Harry's neck. "I'll be irritated with myself later though; that fat bastard broke my favorite baton in half after he managed to twist it free from my hand."

"Ah, I had wondered why you weren't swinging your skull basher around when I first arrived," Harry murmured as he turned to scan the hallway for the broken weapon.

The moment he saw the twisted and broken pieces that remained of the weighted baton, he gently extracted himself from Canary's arms and propped her back up against the wall so she wouldn't topple over. He then silently and wandlessly summoned the broken baton to him and caught the heavy pieces the moment they flew to his side. Harry sent his magic into both pieces of twisted metal before he cast a silent _Reparo_ (much like he had the day he'd fixed the damage Wing had done to the wall in his house). The two pieces of metal untwisted and fused back into a single piece before Harry's magic completely withdrew into his core now that Harry was in complete control of both his magic and his emotions.

Harry drew his wand at that point and ran the tip of it along the entire length of the baton; casting several different types of Strengthening Spells and an Unbreakable Spell on the weapon to prevent it from being broken a second time. He then put his wand away before he tucked the repaired baton through his belt and returned his attention to his girlfriend. Harry chuckled softly at the look of disbelief on her face before he swept her up into his arms and turned towards the locker rooms. He had only taken a handful of steps before another presence suddenly registered on his senses and he stopped in his tracks and snapped his gaze up to find Gotoh watching him with an unreadable look.

"Master Zeno sent me to investigate the reason behind your delay when the two of you didn't meet us after the match as previously agreed," Gotoh stated as his gaze swept beyond Harry and Canary to take in the scattered weapons and coarse ash that filled the corridor.

"There was a rather annoying cockroach infestation that needed to be dealt with," Harry explained tightly as gold threaded green eyes briefly flashed gold when the memory of finding Canary beleaguered and injured stirred his dormant rage momentarily before he locked both the memory and his emotions away.

"I see," Gotoh replied as his eyes returned to Harry and the teen cradled in his arms; his expression darkening slightly when he noted the torn and blood soaked uniform that Canary wore. "How serious are your injuries, Canary? Do I need to send for a doctor?"

"I'm fine, sir; James healed all of my injuries the moment the fight was over."

Gotoh's brow furrowed in confusion as the man frowned and ran his eyes over the condition of Canary's uniform once more before he asked, "What were the nature of the injuries healed?"

"Deep laceration to the right temple, severely torn rotator cuff in the right shoulder, multiple complicated fractures along the right ulna and radius, six cracked and severely bruised ribs on the right side, and an assortment of minor bruises and lacerations," Harry rattled off without any hesitation while Canary lightly scowled at him. "And while I healed all of her injuries, she will still need to take it easy for at least two days (that includes no heavy lifting) in order for the injuries to finish healing. That is especially true for the broken bones and torn muscles."

"I will see to it that she gets the rest she needs," Gotoh assured him before he frowned slightly. "Is there any reason why she can't walk on her own right now? I don't recall you mentioning any injuries specific to either leg."

"Healing as much damage as I did takes a considerable amount of energy out of a person and while she is perfectly capable of walking, it is best that she stays off her feet in order to avoid any potential dizzy spells associated with extreme exhaustion," Harry pointed out as he finally began walking once more. A small smirk then flashed across his face as he cheekily added, "Plus it's a good excuse as any to hold her in my arms."

"Behave," Canary hissed as she flushed red with embarrassment and jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"As my lady jay wishes," Harry quipped back unrepentantly.

Gotoh snorted in either amusement or exasperation (possibly both) as he opened the door to the locker room Harry the moment the teen reached the end of the hall where he'd been standing. The man then moved ahead of Harry in order to open the exit for him (and to scan the hall for threats). Harry murmured his thanks as he stepped through the doorway into the brightly lit hallway beyond the locker room. The wizard paused for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the change in lighting before he headed towards the lobby and the lifts. By the time the trio reached the lobby, Canary had fallen asleep in Harry's arms; her exhaustion finally catching up to her.

They were met by the rest of their group beside the lifts and more than one pair of eyes critically noted Canary's current position on top of the less than perfect condition of her uniform. The woman butler made just one attempt to whisk the sleeping Canary out of Harry's arms and was rebuffed by a golden glare over the top of Harry's glasses. She scowled at him but made no further attempts to collect the girl. If Canary had been awake, she probably would have jabbed Harry with her elbow a second time but as it was, the older teen slept on blissfully unaware of Harry's possessiveness.

Once they had all piled inside of the lift, Gotoh pressed the button for floor two-oh-five and the doors slid closed with a soft snick. Harry frowned as the lit buttoned stirred a sense of dread in his stomach and shifted his girlfriend in his arms before he turned sideways to press the button for floor two-oh-seven with his elbow. He got a few funny looks from the two adult butlers, both adult Zoldycks, and Kalluto but everyone else in their group was long used to him doing seemingly inexplicable things at the oddest moments.

When the lift stopped on floor two-oh-seven, Harry chivied everyone out before he passed Canary to Wing after a brief hesitation as he instructed, "Bodoro, Killua, Gon, Kalluto, and Zushi; stay here with Wing and Canary for at least ten minutes before you recall the lift to take you down to our floor. If the lift comes back up before the ten minutes have passed, get out of sight and use the stairs once the coast is clear. The rest of you are welcome to either stay here with the others or tagalong to watch the show as I finish removing the pest problem that has taken up residence on our floor; providing that you don't get in my way."

* * *

**Medical Terms:**

Complicated fracture – a simple fracture (one that does not pierce the skin) where there is damage to the surrounding tissue

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**AN: **_The only comment I wanted to make was to remind those who think Harry was far too powerful in this chapter that his control was shot to hell when Wing opened his aura nodes. One result of that is that his emotions, specifically his anger, significantly magnified the power he used. For those who think it looks like Canary was portrayed far weaker than in canon, please keep in mind that she was still fighting despite being unarmed and injured and she did not retreat until a furious Harry jumped in and took over. ~ Jenn_

**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	26. Insert x Teenage Drama and Angst x Here

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Twenty-Six: Insert x Teenage Drama and Angst x Here

The wizard took one last look at his sleeping girlfriend before he spun on his heel and headed straight for the stairs leading down to the next level. Behind him, there was a short debate before the female butler was left to watch over those remaining behind while Zeno, Silva, and Gotoh followed in Harry's wake. The three older men entered the stairwell just as Harry threw himself over the rail in order to bypass the four short flights of stairs that led down to their floor. The teen landed lightly on his feet with a catlike grace born of the long months training he'd received aboard the Kaijinmaru before he glanced upwards to take note of who had followed him.

Harry then approached the door leading out onto floor two-oh-five and closed his eyes as he sent his senses outwards in order to get a feel for the number of individuals lying in wait for him. There were no where near as many as there had been in the hallway between the stadium and the locker room, though these individuals felt far stronger than any of those that he'd already faced. They were still far weaker than any of the more serious threats that Harry had encountered throughout his life and he let a feral grin slide across his face as he opened his eyes to reveal golden irises.

A glance over his shoulder showed the older three men patiently waiting behind him and he gave them a single nod before he eased the door open and slipped quietly out into the brightly lit corridor. He ghosted up beside one of the thugs that were casually leaning against the wall directly across from the small lobby where the lifts were and noted the blurry and wrinkled photo of him and Canary walking hand in hand from their walk the previous evening sitting in the man's hand.

Harry roughly grabbed the man and pulled him down into a head lock as he plucked the photo from his fingers and critically studied the poor quality of the picture while he casually tightened his arm around the man's neck. To prevent the man from breaking free, Harry cast three wandless sticking charms; one on his feet (so he wouldn't be knocked over), one on the other man's feet (so he couldn't kick Harry), and one on his arm around the man's neck (so it couldn't be pulled off).

"Who ever took this picture was a crappy photographer," Harry drawled in a loud voice that immediately captured the attention of the other six thugs in the area. "Not only is the image horribly grainy and rather difficult to see but the photographer completely failed to capture the beauty that is my blue jay. I sincerely hope you weren't overcharged for such a mediocre photo."

"Grk…!" the man gurgled as he struggled to pull free of Harry's choke hold.

"Oh, bad call; if I were you, I'd ask someone else to do the picture taking next time."

It was at that moment that one of the tower employees stumbled upon the scene and she frowned at the thugs before settling her gaze on the wizard as she inquired, "Mr. Evans; need I remind you that unregistered guest are not allowed to remain within the residential floors above the two-hundredth floor?"

"No, ma'am, these gentlemen will be leaving in just a few minutes; they are just here to get my autograph," Harry replied as he flashed the woman a disarming smile as he held up the photo he'd snatched from the thug's hand. "See, they even brought their own photos of me; though, I was just commiserating with this gentleman here over the poor quality of the photo and was offering to get him an official photo to sign but the photographer was a close friend of his and he thought it would be insulting not to use it."

"I see; carry on then," the woman stated as she continued walking while she added over her shoulder, "and please refrain from staining the carpets with blood."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Gurgle! Grk…! Grk…!" the thug gasped desperately; his face now starting to turn reddish blue from a lack of oxygen.

"Yes, yes, don't worry; I'll give you the autograph I promised you. Now, where did I put that quill," Harry absently assured the thug in his arm as he tucked the photo in his pocket for a moment so he could root around in his mokeskin pouch for said quill. "Ah-ha! There it is… now, where did I leave my ink…?"

"Let Crusher go or we're going to put you in a world of hurt," another of the thugs finally demanded as he cracked his knuckles and took a step closer.

"You are hardly in a position to be making demands," Harry coldly stated as he lifted his gaze to give the man a level four glare (the one that said, your stupidity has just reached records heights and I'm on the verge of slitting your throat just to make the world a smarter place by depriving it of your presence). "Now, I'm not completely heartless; so I will allow the six of you to walk away unharmed in order to pass along an important message from me to the rest of the city's underworld residents."

"What makes you think we'll do anything for you?" yet another one of the thugs demanded.

"Because the alternative will be rather messy," Harry replied as he gave the man a shark-like and loosened the choke hold on the thug he was holding onto just long enough for the man to catch his breath before he tightened his arm once more; carefully reapplying the sticking charm. "I doubt you want to end up like the group of idiots that attempted to abduct my girlfriend; they came to a very unpleasant and messy end after they broke her favorite skull basher."

"What's the message?" the only woman in the group asked after she exchanged a glance with the silent two members of the group.

"I'm a little sick and tired of the annoying little cockroaches sticking their little noses where they don't belong," Harry stated as the whites of his eyes and pupils turned gold to match his irises. "I am also more than a little pissed that they have been sniffing around my girl and my friends and if I so much as see one more hired thug or two bit criminal come within twenty meters of me or anyone under my protection with the intent to harm, kidnap, or steal from us; I will spend the next month exterminating the entire nest."

"Just who the hell do you think you are…?" the first thug that had spoken up howled angrily.

"I am James Evans and I will be the last thing you see if you don't heed my warning," Harry hissed as his aura rose to dance around him in a swirl of gold flames as his rage burst forth in the blink of an eye; the heat of the flames giving the man in his arms the equivalent of a severe sunburn and setting his clothes to smoldering. "Mark my word; if even _one_ petty thief, mercenary, cutthroat, or vagabond dares threaten or attack me or any of my friends, for any reason, I _will_ hunt down every single person within this city with even the smallest connection to the underworld and I _will_ erase their existence so completely that it will be as if they _never_ existed in the first place. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal," the woman replied in a voice that shook. "We'll leave as soon as you release Crusher and we'll be certain to spread the word to the rest of the community tonight."

"Perfect," Harry crowed as his magic withdrew back into his core in the blink of an eye and his eyes returned to their now normal gold laced green. "Just let me finishing signing the photo here for Crusher here; I did promise him my autograph after all. Now, where was that ink…? Oh, I know what I can use."

A strangled scream passed through Crusher's bruised throat as Harry suddenly released him from the choke-hold while dropping all three sticking charms before slicing the sharpened nib of the quill across the man's aura-burnt neck deep enough to make the blood flow freely but not deep enough to kill him right away. Harry ignored the now panicking and bleeding man and his angry and frightened cohorts as he wrote a short message on the photo before signing his alias with a flourish. He wiped the excess blood from the quill onto the man's shirt when he finished and returned it to his mokeskin pouch before he used a wandless drying charm to dry the blood on the photo.

He then tucked the photo in Crusher's pocket and clicked his tongue when he noted just how heavily the thug was bleeding and grumbled, "Oh, now it's just plain bad manners to bleed out all over the floor and after all the trouble I went through to sign that horrendous photo for you. I suppose I had better fix that for you before you get me in trouble with management again for staining the carpets with blood; after I'd just been given a warning too."

Harry then sadistically used a weak wandless _Incendio_ to cauterize the shallow wound he'd made; drawing yet another tortured scream out of the thug. The grin that he gave the seven thugs after he'd finished was rather unhinged as he stated, "Ah, much better; no need to thank me for sealing that wound, it was my pleasure. The lot of you had best run along now; I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with management for being out of bounds."

"Gotoh shall escort them down to the main lobby to make certain they are not hassled," Zeno interjected as he gave the stoic butler a pointed look.

"Wonderful; it appears that my business here is complete," Harry burbled with an over-the-top cheerfulness that was completely out of place in the tense atmosphere of the lobby as he clapped his hands together.

The lift arrived on their floor a moment later and let out a soft ding as the door slid open to reveal the other half of their group and Harry leaped forward to collect his girlfriend from Wing. He then gave the seven thugs one last feral smile before he turned his back on them and began whistling a jaunty tune as he headed for their room. As soon as he reached his door, he stopped whistling, cast a silent and wandless Unlocking Charm to open the door, and used his foot to shove the door all the way open.

Harry carried his girlfriend across the room and gently settled her on the edge of the bed before he pulled off her socks and shoes. He then withdrew his wand from his left arm bracer and used it to clean Canary's high heeled boots before he set them on the floor. Another swish, flick, and twirl of his wand saw the ashes, blood, and grim being lifted from Canary's clothes, skin, and hair before a fabric repair spell was used to mend all of the little rips and tears in her uniform; all of which took less than five minutes to do.

Harry was just unbuttoning Canary's uniform jacket and slipping it from her arms when the rest of their group finally entered the room (the others had lingered in the lobby to exchange information before following the wizard). Harry glanced up briefly when he heard the door open but soon returned his attention to his girlfriend as he settled her more comfortably on the bed before he carefully folded the repaired jacket and draped it over the nightstand sitting beside the table. He then absently summoned an extra blanket from stack sitting on the edge of the couch (where Minky had set them after washing them while everyone was out) and tenderly settled it over the still sleeping teen.

The fifteen year old leaned down to press a fleeting kiss to Canary's temple before he brushed a few stray wisps of hair out of her face. His temper spiked as he straightened up; the memory of seeing Canary injured and bleeding flashing before his mind's eye briefly before he slammed a mental door within his mind and cut off the memory again. He would spend the rest of the afternoon brooding in silence from the chair he'd dragged over to the bed while the rest of the group ate the feast Minky had prepared to celebrate his second win. Harry had nothing to celebrate right that moment though; his girlfriend had been injured because of him and he'd taken several lives (not that he was consciously aware of the latter at the moment).

"Don't do it," Gotoh advised several hours later as he walked up to Harry carrying a plate of food that he set onto the nightstand beside the brooding wizard.

"Er… what?" Harry asked in confusion as glanced up from the spot on the floor that he'd been glaring daggers at for at least three hours.

"You are thinking about breaking up with Canary because of what happened," Gotoh insightfully pointed out as he leaned up against the bed and crossed his arms over his chest as he studied the teen. "I can see it written all over your face; you blame yourself for her earlier injuries and for being attacked in the first place."

"They targeted her because they wanted to get to me."

"And do you really think breaking up with her is going to protect her? She is a Zoldyck butler or she will be once she has finished her training; so she is not unfamiliar with violence and she has been targeted by many a mercenary and assassin since she first began training. Tell me, do you see her as weak?"

"No."

"Not even after seeing her being overwhelmed and injured?"

"No, she might have been injured but she was still fighting; I have no doubt that she would have eventually finished the rest of the thugs off if I had not interfered when I did."

"Yet, if you were to break up with her right now, right after you witnessed her being injured, you would be telling her that she is too weak in your eyes. She will also not thank you for casting her aside at the first sign of adversity after you pursued her with such diligence and determination over the past three and a half months. I raised Canary as a weapon from the moment she arrived at the Zoldyck estate as a wide eyed girl filled with untold potential. I also raised her as my daughter so as not to crush her heart because her heart was what gave her the strength and determination to keep fighting no matter what. I may not like you very much and I will not make things easy for you just because Canary likes you but I also will not stand by and watch you break my daughter."

Harry sighed and slumped further down in his chair as the older butler's words sank in fairly quickly. He then pulled off his glasses and ran his hand over his face before he glanced at the still sleeping Canary while he let his fingers dance over the near invisible lightning bolt scar that had once sat so prominently sat upon his brow. Memories of his life as a wizard under Dumbledore's thumb, the knowledge that he had powerful enemies, and the sudden realization that he'd killed several individuals in his rage had the wizard curling over as he threaded his fingers through his hair and fisted his hands. A heartbeat later, a soft keening whine slipped out from between his lips before he could completely suppress it.

Complete silence fell over the room at that point and all eyes swung around to stare at the teen in shock. That had been the first display of vulnerability that Harry had ever displayed in front of most of those present (Killua and Gon the only exception as both boys had witnessed his nightmares on at least one occasion). His current posture, coupled with that small, heart wrenching cry was enough to make the adults in the room take a closer look at the teen; their eyes piercing through the now cracked mask that he'd been wearing almost from the moment he set foot on the Kaijinmaru.

For all his hard won maturity and skills, Harry was nothing more than a fifteen year old boy with considerable power at his fingers tips, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and a burning desire to protect those precious to him.

They could see it clearly, now that the careful façade Harry had built up around his alias was crumbling. Zeno and Silva weren't exactly surprised by the revelation (they'd long suspected that the teen had been lying about his age) but the rest of the adults had been completely caught off guard by the realization. Now that they could see it, they wondered just how the hell they'd missed it because it was patently obvious if you knew what to look for and had spent any length of time around the teen. A quiet discussion held out of hearing range from the children saw the pre-teens (bar the sleeping Canary) being bustled off by the majority of the adults while Zeno stayed behind to deal ticking time bomb that was Harry's emotional state.

While the adults were reaching an epiphany and drawing lots to see who would be dealing with the inevitable explosion of teenage angst, Harry was being inundated with the memories of those that he'd killed. It wasn't the idea of death that bothered him (death was an old companion of his, after all) and it wasn't even the idea that he'd had killed people that was making him feel sick (he'd never forgotten that he'd had a hand in Quirrell's death in his first year or that he'd killed both the basilisk and Riddle's shade in his second year).

No, it was the knowledge that he'd killed those people while in a blind rage and that he'd neither given them a chance to fight back nor allowed them to beg for clemency or flee that made his stomach twist up in knots. More than that, it was the knowledge that he could have harmed or killed Canary in his rage and not even realized it until it was too late. The idea of harming his friends and family because he'd been unable to control himself terrified the fifteen year old.

"If you are feeling sick; it is best to throw up and get it over with rather than trying to hold it in until that feeling poisons you with the guilt and bitterness you are currently feeling," Zeno suggested as he crouched down in front of the chair that Harry was sitting in.

"Huh…?" Harry automatically asked in confusion as he uncurled enough to glance at the man as his voice cut through Harry's spiraling thoughts.

"A person's first kill is always the most difficult to accept and it is best that you not force yourself to fight the need to throw up as it will help purge the emotions that are currently making you sick."

"Oh," Harry replied as he scrubbed at his face before replacing his glasses. "That would have been useful advice to have after I killed one of my professors in self-defense at the end of my first year at Hog… at my boarding school."

"I was certain that those men today had been your first kills based upon your behavior…" Zeno mused mostly to himself as he stroked one side of his mustache.

"No… but it was the first time I ever killed anyone while in a blind rage," Harry admitted in a small voice. "And the first time I've ever killed when it wasn't in self defense. Well part of it was in defense of Canary, because she'd been injured, but half of them would have fled or surrendered had I allowed them to. The thing that bothered me the most though was how close I had been to harming Canary instead of saving her. I was so lost in my rage that I could have hurt her, or any other potential innocents in the area, and not even realized it. Canary is both talented and strong but not all of the skills and strength in the world could have saved her from what I unleashed today in my rage had she been caught up in it."

"You're overlooking one small fact, young man."

"What is that, Mr. Zoldyck?"

"Despite the fact that you gave into your anger, you did not harm Canary; some part of you knew she was there and took steps to protect her from whatever it was you did to those that were attacking the two of you. Much like your great-grandfather left a young teen unharmed despite the fact that he had found me in the same vicinity as three high level war criminals."

"I hate logic," Harry muttered under his breath; drawing a chuckle from the older man.

"Feeling better now?"

"Mostly, sir."

"Good, do you think you could answer a few questions for me?"

"I guess."

"Why don't you start by telling me how old you are?"

"Sev…"

"No you are not," Zeno interrupted before Harry could finish giving his alias's age. "You are a very mature young man and you usually carry yourself with enough confidence that your true age is hard to determine but we both know that you are not seventeen. Now, the truth, please."

Harry stared at the man for half a minute before he sagged back in the chair and quietly replied, "Almost sixteen." When Zeno skeptically arched an eyebrow in response, Harry huffed and crossed his arms before petulantly adding, "I'll be sixteen in July." He then chewed on his lip a bit while he carefully considered his next words; his mind analyzing all of his interactions with the older assassin and determining just how much he could trust the man.

Once he reached his decision, he pinned the older man with a penetrating gaze as he solemnly stated, "I didn't tack on two years to my age on a childish whim, sir; my life and those of a handful of friends back home depend upon me not being recognized and that includes hiding my true age."

"You have my word that I will not bring up your age again; though, I should warn you that the others are aware that you are not as old as you have claimed to be. I also suggest that you consider coming clean about your age to Canary at some point, as well as to Killua and Gon; they will appreciate learning the truth from you before they inadvertently learn about it from another source."

"If it becomes necessary, I will tell them the truth," Harry hedged as he dropped his gaze.

Zeno nodded as if that had been the response he'd expected before he asked, "How many enemies do you have seeking your blood, how powerful are they, and how much longer do you think it will be until they track you down? And before you say that it isn't any of my business, please remember that I have entrusted you with Killua's care and protection and that he will likely be caught up in any battles that you get into if your enemies end up finding you while you are still traveling in the company of my grandson."

Harry closed his mouth and swallowed the rude retort he'd been about to give in response to the man's prying. After a few minutes, he came to the conclusion that telling Zeno wouldn't really do any harm so long as he didn't bring up magic.

He then took a deep breath to steady his nerves before replying, "I don't know the exact numbers but I do know that there are at least three groups that are hunting me. The first group after me is led by the man that defeated Gellert Grindelwald in forty-five, the leader of the second group is a man who took up Grindelwald's cause sometime in the sixties or seventies, and the man in charge of the last group and our government is a complete idiot with political power and money who is being played by both of the other men."

"Powerful enemies indeed," Zeno murmured as he fingered his mustache again. "Why are they after you? Do you know what is it that they want from you?"

"Hell if I know… all I know is that Riddle, the leader of the second group, murdered my parents when I was a baby and he attempted to kill me but failed. He went to ground for ten years before he tried again and I've faced him at least three times since then and barely escaped with my life. I also know that he wants me dead because I'm a glaring reminder of his failures."

"Next up is Dumbledore; he is the leader of the first group, defeater of Grindelwald, and supposedly one of the good guys because he has aligned himself against Riddle but he's not and I have no clue why he wants me dead; only that it has something to do with my family. Lastly there is Minister Fudge, the incompetent boob with far more power than sense and he's being paid and played by both sides and he probably wants me gone or under his thumb for political reasons."

"Riddle has his sycophants, Dumbledore has his lackeys, and Fudge has the weight of an entire government behind him because he's the head honcho. All three of them have spies everywhere, at least one of them has control of the media and therefore control of public opinion, and the small handful of people that I know I can trust are caught between a rock and a hard place because they're sitting right in the middle of the other three groups."

"The only reason that none of my enemies have managed to track me down over the past ten months is because they have no idea that I was smuggled out of country last summer. I don't know how much longer it will be until they reach the conclusion that I left the country but so long as I don't draw the wrong sort of attention to myself, I should be able to escape notice for a while longer yet."

"And you don't think the televised matches that you've participated in over the past two months haven't drawn attention to you?" Zeno demanded incredulously.

"Believe it or not, most of the individuals that are searching for me wouldn't have the first clue as to what a telephone is let alone a television. Besides, few of them would be able to recognize me now since I look nothing like I did a year ago and I've actually put on three or four stone as well as grown several centimeters. Additionally, most of my enemies see hand to hand combat as barbaric and therefore think it beneath them; so, they probably wouldn't bother watching any of my fights long enough to realize that it was me fighting even if they had access to a tele."

"They could still easily recognize your name," Zeno pointed out before he paused as he immediately reached the obvious conclusion. "You're not actually using your real name and you've already said you added two years to your age on top of changing your looks. Are you really an Evans?"

"Yes, I'm really an Evans," Harry stated as he tried not to panic over how easily Zeno reached the conclusion that he was using an alias. "Aside from my age and a handful of facts about my parents, I've not once told any lies in regards to who I am, and the lies I have told have been more about protecting myself and my friends instead of trying to con anyone."

"Does Isaac know?"

"Yes; Chairman Netero knows everything. Not that I ever had any choice in the matter, telling that man no is like trying to talk to a brick wall."

Zeno chuckled softly in response to Harry's comment about Netero's stubbornness. He then grew serious once more as he asked, "How long do you intend to hide from your enemies?"

"I will keep hiding until I am strong enough to face those that will attack me directly and have enough dirt on those that will try to set me up for an 'accidental' death or a one-way trip to prison in order to knock them off of their pedestals so that they can be dealt with without making myself a bigger target. I'm not stupid enough to think that I can hide forever nor am I foolish enough to think that any of them will ever give up on hunting me down. I already hired a group of professionals to research certain incidents back home in order to find the evidence I need; so all I have to personally worry about is my own training."

"You've done an admirable job of improving and expanding your skills since we first met," Zeno praised and Harry flushed lightly with embarrassed pleasure over having someone acknowledge his efforts to improve himself. The aged assassin then asked another question in a measured tone that made it apparent that Zeno was carefully choosing his words, "My grandson and his other little friend are both quite taken with you and enjoy your company. They are also both rather stubborn individuals that are not easily swayed from their chosen paths. Knowing that, what will you do if they should both chose to follow you when you return home to deal with your enemies?"

"I would attempt to talk them out of following me but I'm not naïve enough to think that there isn't a chance that I will fail to talk sense into them. With that in mind, the only thing I can do is make certain that they continue training and improving until that day comes. Should they insist on tagging along or threaten to follow me if I leave them behind, then I will be forced to spill most, if not all, of my secrets in order to make certain they have the information they will need in order to survive. There's also a very small possibility that once they know what they will be facing, they will change their mind about tagging along but I doubt it since both of them are rather hardheaded."

"What kind of situation do you think you'll be returning to once you deem yourself ready to return home?"

"War," Harry grimly replied with conviction based upon the monthly updates he'd been receiving from Bill and his friends since he'd left England.

"You are certain?"

"Yes; as much as I might wish otherwise, there is no doubt in my mind that a civil war will break out back home and it will break out soon. Whether that happens before or after I return home to deal with the unfinished business I left behind when I was smuggled out of the country and conned into taking the Hunter's Exam remains to be seen. That is one of the reasons why I'd do my best to discourage Gon and Killua from going with me when I do return home."

"I see; that is a rather troubling revelation. Will you cut your training short if the brewing war breaks out before you are ready to return?"

"I don't know. I suppose it would greatly depend on whether or not my friends back home were in immediate danger."

"Understandable," Zeno murmured as he stood up and patted Harry on the head. "I'll end my interrogation on that note and thank you for tolerating this old man's need to dig into your business. If you find yourself in need of someone to talk to about any of the lives you have taken to date, you are more than welcome to seek me out; I am more than willing to listen. For now, you should probably have a light supper and meditate for an hour or so before you sleep; your body will need the nutrients to help you recover and the meditation should help prevent nightmares, or at least mitigate the severity of the nightmares."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	27. Grudge x Match x No Three

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Grudge x Match x No. Three

Harry stood in the center of the ring with his arms crossed over his chest and a stony scowl on his face as he waited for his third and final opponent to show up. He was in a rather foul mood because he'd slept poorly the night before; his dreams haunted by nightmares despite the hours he'd spent meditating. He'd been tempted to take a dose of Dreamless Sleep to avoid the nightmares but he'd decided against it at the last moment out of a perverse need to make himself suffer as punishment for the lives he took.

In any case, it had been a long night and the only reason why his screams hadn't filled the hotel room was because he'd cast a localized Silencing Spell around the chair he'd slept in beside the bed as he carried out a vigil at his girlfriend's side.

He was at least spared the humiliation of having a large audience for his nightmares. Killua, Kalluto, and Gon had ended up crashing in the other room with Silva and the two adult butlers; leaving Zeno to watch over the troubled wizard and the sleeping Canary. Harry almost would have preferred to have the three boys in the room; they would have at least helped to distract him from his inner turmoil. Then again, their presence at the after-match feast (that Harry hadn't really participated in) hadn't prevented him from sinking into his inner torment.

A small part of the irritated wizard hoped that Riehlvelt was a no show for the match (giving Harry the win by default) but the rest of him was looking forward to the fight. Even if the man didn't show, Harry knew he'd be fighting him today because he'd hunt the man down if he skipped out on his public lesson.

The wizard was pulled from his inner turmoil as his opponent finally turned up and Harry gave the man a combination level five sneer (the one that said you smell worse than something found rotting in the sewers) and level two glare (which said your continued presence is offensive and I will kill you slowly and painfully if I am forced to tolerate it much longer) as he watched him roll into the ring. Riehlvelt was either brave or stupid because he had the gall to scowl and glare at Harry in return; though the crippled man's angry gaze didn't even register on the Snape Scale of intimidating looks. Harry could clearly see that the other man was beyond upset about Sadaso's death (which Harry had only learned about after he'd woken up that morning).

"This is it, the moment we've all been waiting for ladies and gentlemen; the third and final match of a triple line up by challenger James Evans," Cocco announced the moment Riehlvelt reached the center of the ring where Harry and the referee were waiting. "Today's match will feature Riehlvelt versus James Evans and I don't know about the rest of you but I'm eagerly awaiting the breathtaking performance that Mr. Evans will undoubtedly pull off today."

"This match will be scored using the point and knock out system. All weapons are allowed and there will be no time limit," the referee stated once the sound of the cheering crowd had died down to a dull roar. "Ready? Begin!"

"I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Sadaso!" Riehlvelt spat as the referee fell back to the edge of the ring where he could drop out of harms way if necessary.

"You seem to have forgotten that you are here because you need to learn your place," Harry coldly stated as he continued to glare at the wheelchair bound man. "You and your friends brought this on yourselves when you chose to bully one of the boys under my protection after I warned you off. The bastard I fought yesterday paid the ultimate price when he learned first hand that I don't take threats against my friends lightly. Had he not sought to manipulate me by threatening my girlfriend, then he would still be alive today."

Riehlvelt let out a wordless cry of anger as he used his aura to ignite the booster jets on the back of his wheelchair; sending himself straight at Harry with the intent of crushing the teen beneath his wheels. Harry stood silently watching the man bearing down on him as he erected the strongest wandless shield he'd learned to date with a flick of his wrist as he unfolded his arms and tucked his hands in his pocket. Two seconds later there was a thunderous crash as the man slammed into the unseen shield at full speed.

Harry immediately dropped the shield at that point and pulled his right hand out of his pocket to cast a wandless sticking charm on the treads of the tires before reaching up to scratch at the back of his head as he commented, "Nice trick there, I hope you didn't give yourself whiplash breaking so suddenly like that."

"I'll get you for that, you little bastard!" Riehlvelt declared as he attempted to back away from Harry. The look on his face then morphed from furious to nervous the moment he realized that he wasn't going anywhere. "What did you do to my chair!?"

"It would appear that you broke it in your haste; allow me to fix that for you," Harry retorted with a sadistic smirk as he withdrew his wand (still hidden by the sheath made from a scrap of his invisibility cloak) and silently transfigured the oversized tires on the man's wheelchair into giant hamster wheels compete with a pair of hamsters.

"Put it back to the way it was before, right now!"

"No, I don't think I will," Harry countered as he flicked his unseen wand several times and added a few embellishments to the changes he'd already made; turning the bottom half of the wheelchair's frame into the plastic tubing that is frequently found attached to hamster cages to allow the hamsters a maze of tunnels to explore. He then transfigured several of the gears into more hamsters until there were about twenty of the little furballs racing through the tubes and running inside of the giant hamster wheels. "I think I like it much better the way it is now."

"I'm going to make you scream before I kill you, freak!"

Harry's temper spiked at the familiar and much hated insult and he crossed the small distance that remained between then in two steps before he backhanded the crippled bully so hard that his head snapped backwards, "Call me that again and I will show you the true meaning of hell before I am finished with you."

"Clean hit! One point for Mr. Evans," the referee interjected from his perch on the edge of the ring.

"Really, what are you going to do? Run home and cry to your mommy about the big mean bully that called you nasty names?" Riehlvelt taunted as a pair of hidden compartment opened up from the sides of the chair's backrest.

The man then reached up and back to grab hold of the devices that were stored within the hidden compartments and pulled out a pair of customized whips. Harry snarled and back flipped away from the man in an attempt to escape the whips as the man attacked the moment the ends of the whips had cleared their storage compartment. As he landed on his feet once more, Harry dodged to the left to avoid another strike and ended up running right into the other whip as the man wrapped up his arms and chest.

The man then laughed as he pushed a button on the whip which caused the snake head on the tip of the whip that was wrapped around Harry to open its mouth and sink its fangs into Harry's neck. Harry completely ignored the man's gloating speech about the whips he'd named Twin Snakes as he instead focused on testing the strength of the whip in an effort to see how hard it would be to free himself. It wasn't until Riehlvelt mentioned the fact that both whips held the capacity to electrocute a person that Harry snapped his attention back to the man.

"Together, my whips carry a one million volt current; which is more than enough electricity to incapacitate a man two to three times larger and heavier than you! Forfeit now and I will release you, refuse and I will add my other whip and activate them both."

"Go to hell," Harry snapped without fear in response as he twirled his wrist and pointed his hidden wand at the second whip and silently transfigured the thing into a live snake and ordered it to attack Riehlvelt. He then made a huge miscalculation when he didn't bother to transfigure the whip still wrapped around him; the wizard mistakenly believing that his magic would short out the device before it could harm him.

The man let out a single cry of fear as the large serpent bore down on him before he activated the whip that was still wrapped around Harry's arms and chest and biting into his neck. The searing jolt of electricity engulfed the wizard a heartbeat later and Harry let out a scream that rose in pitch until it sounded like the screaming cry of an eagle. To the fifteen year old, the agonizing current rushing through his body felt was far worse than the pain of the Cruciatus Curse but not quite as painful as having multiple bindings stripped from his entire being. Worse than the searing agony of having half a million volts of electricity coursing through his body, were the memories that the pain evoked.

In his mind, the past ten months were striped from Harry as he once again found himself in the graveyard at Voldemort's mercy. Trapped as he was between the mental and physical pain, Harry never felt his body drop down onto his knees as the muscles in his hand involuntarily tightened around the handle of his wand while his back arched over backwards until his head was nearly touching his heels. At the same time, Riehlvelt was having a rough time fending off the attacks of the whip turned snake while the referee kept glancing between the two screaming opponents in an attempt to figure out who he should award points to before he ended up giving them both a point when the snake latched onto Riehlvelt's arm.

Harry's magic lashed out in response to the unending pain nearly two minutes later as it attacked the immediate threat; the whip generating the current currently disabling the wizard. A stream of searing hot flames generated by his magic shot out along the length of the whip and turned the device into ashes in the blink of an eye. The transfigured snake exploded a split second later when it brushed up against the last of the flames that had destroyed the first whip. The pain Harry was feeling temporarily dropped from the previous searing agony down to a level of pain that was just slightly less painful than the Cruciatus the moment the whip had been destroyed and his scream became a choked sob as he collapsed onto his side before he weakly rolled up onto his hands and knees.

His entire body trembled and jerked as his muscles continued to spasm under the influence of the unrelenting pain as the large amount of electricity that his body had absorbed clung to and fed from his magic like a leech; pain that was slowly escalating once more instead of fading away. Laughter bubbled up inside of Harry at that point; dark, humorless laughter that started out soft as a whisper before it swelled in volume until the sound of it filled the entire stadium. As abruptly as he started laughing, Harry fell silent as he shakily climbed to his feet and stared around the stadium without really seeing it.

"He who laughs last, laughs forever; isn't that right, Tom?" Harry demanded in a giddy tone that was laced with pure madness; much to the confusion of everyone watching (his grasp of reality still far too skewed for him to realize where and when he was). "How many more times will you try and fail to kill me, Tom? How does it feel to know that you can't defeat one little half-trained teenager? How long will it take before you grow weary of your own inadequacies?"

"Shut up you freak of nature!"

The insult jarred something within Harry's mind and reality suddenly snapped back into place around him as he cocked his head to one side like a bird of prey sighting its next meal and hissed, "I told you to _never_ call me that again."

Harry then attacked with a vengeance while ignoring the screaming protest from his burning muscles; casting spell after destructive spell as he shredded Riehlvelt's wheelchair piece by piece with an assortment of low-level curses. Unlike the all consuming and white hot rage he'd been pushed into the day before when Sadaso had threatened Canary, Gon, and Killua; his current anger was cold and calculating and far scarier because he was in complete control of himself and his magic. Each spell he cast was aimed at a specific part of the wheelchair and fueled with just enough power to destroy his target without actually harming the man sitting in the chair sending the transfigured hamsters fleeing as they dropped free of the chair.

And because he hadn't actually landed a single blow on his opponent aside from when he backhanded him earlier (or when the whip turned snake had bit Riehlvelt), the referee wasn't tacking on points to Harry's score; meaning that the match was being drawn out longer.

When Harry finally lowered his wand and allowed the dust that had filled the ring to settle, Riehlvelt was sitting on the ground surrounded by the remains of his wheelchair; not a single piece of the device larger than a piece of gravel. Harry allowed a feral grin slide onto his face as the man stared around him in horror over the complete and utter destruction of his special motorized wheelchair. The moment he finally looked up to meet Harry's gaze, the man cried out in fear and tried to scramble backwards to escape as the wizard walked forward with short mincing steps (due to the escalating pain he still felt and the continued muscles spasms wracking his body).

"Welcome to your personal preview of hell, asshole," Harry rasped through his pain as he cast a silent spell and jerked his wand up; pulling the man up off the floor and hanging him upside down so that his head was level with Harry's. He then cast a Silencing Charm on the man as he added, "Please hold all of your screams until your experience is over so that you can enjoy the full effects of your personalized torment."

Harry then spent the next thirty minutes unleashing all of the suppressed fear, anger, and hate that he'd kept locked deep within in his soul over the way his relatives had treated him as he cast Stinging Hexes and an assortment of other silent and colorless spells that caused pain and discomfort. Because he'd been silenced, Riehlvelt's screams couldn't be heard and he couldn't forfeit the match no matter how much he might wish it. The referee also hesitated to award points since he couldn't actually tell whether or not Harry was actually hitting the dangling man as he shuffled and stumbled around his opponent.

At the end of those thirty minutes, Harry dropped his arm and stared at Riehlvelt with an emotionless stare as he watched the man squirm and twitch in response to the various effects of the spells that had been cast upon him. He then walked forward until he was standing right in the man's face as completely gold eyes bored into terrified and tormented gray eyes. Harry watched him for several long minutes before he tore his eyes away from the other man's gaze and took a single step backwards.

The man's mouth moved desperately as he attempted to say something but Harry ignored him as he leaned forward once more to hiss, "I'm done playing games with you and your friends; push me again and I will make what you just experienced feel like a fond memory compared to what I will do to you should you piss me off again."

Harry then canceled the spell keeping the man up in the air and removed the Silencing Charm before he turned his back on the man and began limping away. Behind him, Riehlvelt began screaming that he quit over and over again as he abruptly crashed to the ground and rolled back and forth in pure agony as the rest of the spells that Harry had cast on him remained active. The wizard was declared the winner just seconds later and he wearily stared out at the audience without really seeing them as thunderous applause, whistles, and cat calls rang out before he made his way out of the stadium.

He held himself together just long enough to reach the sanctity of the dimly lit hall that led to the locker room before he let out a half choked sob in response to the now nearly unbearable pain from the electrocution. Harry caught himself against the wall in an effort to keep himself from kissing the floor as his legs threatened to give out on him. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths in order to manage the pain; a task that was made difficult due to the electricity that was still locked within his body by his magic and still assaulting every single nerve in his body with each breath he took.

The soft scuffing of a shoe across the rough cement floor of the hallway brought Harry's head up as he reopened his eyes so that he could identify the person approaching him even as his sixth sense told him that he had nothing to fear. He was a bit surprised to see Silva heading towards him (part of him had expected to see his girlfriend until he recalled that she was still recovering). He then gave the man a pained smile as he realized that Silva must have purposefully scuffed his shoe in order to warn him of his approach; the large man was usually as silent as a stalking panther.

Pushing away from the wall, Harry forced his legs to hold his weight once more; the teen did not wish to appear weak in front of Killua's father. That turned out to be a mistake as his muscles screamed out in agony as the change in position made the already crippling pain he felt flare sharply. Harry let out one last choked scream that was half sob before his consciousness fled from the pain in order to preserve his sanity.

* * *

Zeno Zoldyck stared down at the unconscious teen on the bed with mixed feelings.

When his oldest grandson had first warned him that he might have accidentally angered an Evans and that said Evans was headed towards Kukuroo Mountain, Zeno had feared the worst. The first thing he'd done was order Illumi to return home as soon as he finished his current mission so that he could provide a detailed report on the incident and face the looming consequences of his actions. The second thing he'd done was warn the rest of the family not to antagonize the man further once he arrived. The final thing he'd done in preparation for the arrival of an angry Evans was to order both the gate guards and his butlers to allow the man through in the hopes of minimizing the damage.

What he hadn't anticipated was the possibility of the Evans in question arriving with a group of children in tow or that he would be a mere child himself. Nor had he anticipated that the young Evans would withhold his name when he arrived at the gates of their estate. That Gotoh hadn't thought to ask for the kid's name was an oversight that only compounded all of the other miscalculations that had been made. The resulting assault on the estate's defenses had been rather extensive (especially to the testing gate itself) but thankfully no where near as bad as they had reportedly been when Gregory Evans had stormed the estate back in forty-three.

Zeno wouldn't have confirmation that it was an Evans tearing his way through the lines of defense until his daughter-in-law stepped in to confront the trespassers. The moment he realized that someone had failed to follow orders, Zeno had rushed down to intercept the small group of trespassers in the hopes of preventing further damage. Luckily, he'd reached the Butler's Mansion in time to prevent bloodshed.

His first look at the trench coat wearing teen had brought back memories of the day he'd met Gregory Evans and for a split second he had almost believed that the individual standing in front of him had been Gregory; if not for the fact that the teen was far too young, too short, and not quite as powerful. It was the boy's eyes that had fueled the illusion that he was once again seeing the older man though; those glittering gold eyes filled with anger were undeniably Greg's eyes. Zeno had feared that soothing the teen's obvious rage would take some rather fancy talking on his part; only for the kid to calm down the moment Zeno had introduced himself.

Surprisingly enough, the kid's anger had faded completely the moment he'd learned that he would be allowed to see Killua. The thing that had bothered Zeno the most about that first encounter was the fact that the kid had claimed to be merely annoyed and cranky instead of furious. During the walk back to the Zoldyck Family Seat, Zeno had determined that the kid was not a serious threat to his family and found himself liking the rather brash teen that openly joked about torture and death.

The teen had then gained another measure of Zeno's respect when he'd bravely faced Silva and willingly apologized for what he'd done to Mike without flinching. The easy banter he'd exchanged with Zeno's large and intimidating son and the stories he'd shared about his interactions with Killua had been entertaining. Seeing him interact with Killua that first night had been educational and watching him spar against his friend and against Gotoh's little prodigy had been rather enlightening.

He'd seen a wealth of potential in the young teen that day; which was one of the reasons why he'd allowed Killua to leave with the group and why he'd been willing to support a potential friendship or romance between one of his servants and the green-eyed teen. Potential that had been partially unlocked in a mere two and a half months. Zeno had been both curious and surprised when Killua had called home at the start of the month to announce that their group had reached the two hundredth floor and to invite the family to watch James fight in three back to back matches.

Zeno had expected all three boys to have grown from the experience gained, James and Gon in particular, but he'd not quite been prepared to see just how extensive that growth had been for all three boys. He wouldn't see the full extent of James's growth until his second match; when the young man had lost his temper. The first time Zeno had seen the teen, he'd been wrapped in a weak and uncontrolled shroud of Nen that hinted at the power he contained but was in no way intimidating. The Ren that had exploded out of the young Evans during his second match, on the other hand, was three times more intimidating than Gregory's aura all those years ago.

The shroud that had surrounded the teen this time had been wild, shifting and flicking like flames, and so dense that it appeared to be a near solid wall of white that hid the young man almost completely from sight when Zeno had activated Gyo to view James's aura.

He'd then witnessed the phenomenal display of speed that Killua had spoken of when he'd first returned home after being disqualified from the Hunter's Exam. Zeno had been both amazed and frustrated because he couldn't even follow the teen's movements as he jumped from place to place while he beat the crap out of Sadaso. He was almost willing to bet that the teen was somehow teleporting himself from point A to point B rather than moving between the two points at impossible speeds due to the timing involved. In a way, James's ability to move from place to place in the blink of an eye reminded him of the way Griselda Grindelwald had vanished each time he'd gotten close enough for the kill.

He was still pondering the matter when the match ended just minutes after James had lost his temper and his eyes had tracked the furious young man as he left the room without acknowledging his win or the crowd. Just seconds after the teen had disappeared through the exit below their seats, his aura had turned positively murderous and if Zeno had been a lesser man, he might have soiled his pants in fear. It was at that point that he'd ordered Gotoh to check on the young man to make certain there was no foul play involved.

Zeno wasn't at all surprised to learn that there had been foul play involved but he was a bit shocked when he learned that James had dealt with it quickly, efficiently, and violently. Information that he hadn't learned until after he'd watched the young Evans foil an ambush and turn said ambush around on their would-be attackers. Zeno couldn't help but think that James would have made one hell of an assassin as he watched the boy intimidate several hardened criminals with little effort. He'd even briefly lamented the fact that all of his grandchildren were boys as he would have loved to embrace the boy as family. He was at least pleased that he'd had the foresight to encourage the boy's relationship with young Canary.

James's minor breakdown following the second match had been both educational and telling. Zeno wasn't certain on whether or not he should be surprised to learn that Gregory's great-grandson had ended up with powerful enemies and the aged assassin was pretty certain that part of the reason the teen was a target had to do with his great-grandfather's reputation and actions during the Second World War. He still felt he was missing a major piece of the puzzle though and he had no doubt that James hadn't told him the complete truth; something that annoyed him because he didn't like being left in the dark.

He was half tempted to demand answers from the old brick wall in charge of the Hunter's Association. Only he knew that Isaac would never part with even the smallest scrap of information on one of his Hunters let alone pass along any classified information on the great-grandson of his best friend. No, it was best to look elsewhere for information least he upset the older man; though he did intend to write to Isaac and ask him what he knew about the war that James was certain would break out fairly soon.

Thinking about the potential war and the knowledge that Killua would undoubtedly be swept up in the mess due to his close friendship with James brought Zeno's attention back to the unconscious teen on the bed. Zeno then turned his gaze to his middle grandson and the other boy he'd befriended next; both of them mere children despite their skills and potential. He knew it would do no good to order his grandson to keep his distance from James and in truth he didn't want to; Killua had grown by leaps and bounds in the three months he'd known both boys. At the same time, he wished that his grandson had never met James Evans as he had no desire to lose the young protégé to a war that had nothing to do with them.

Zeno's gaze returned to the teen on the bed at that point as his thoughts turned from the looming war he knew very little about to the third and final match that the boy had fought in just that morning. He had been concerned that James would struggle during the match because of his rather rough and restless night but he'd never thought the teen would be caught off guard the way he had. Nor had he imagined that the wheelchair bound man would succeed in harming the teen to the extent that he had; Riehlvelt was no where near James's level.

Even now, several hours after the match had ended; Zeno could still hear the teen's agonized scream ringing in his ears. It was what happened after the teen had been electrocuted that bothered the assassin the most though. The brief moment of apparent insanity had not been faked; in that brief moment between the moment he had been electrocuted and when Riehlvelt had spoken again, James had lost touch with reality. Everything that had happened after that point was far more confusing than James's apparently ability to teleport because while it was obvious that James was attacking his opponent, Zeno couldn't see or sense any of the attacks being used.

He was also disturbed by Silva's description of how he'd found the teen barely standing and very obviously still suffering from the after affects of being electrocuted. The pain and muscle tremors should have faded into memory by the time the match had ended since the electricity fueling the pain should have dissipated rapidly once the charge ended. Yet, according to what his son had told him, the charge had somehow been contained and maintained within the teen's body right up until the moment Silva had made skin to skin contact with the boy when he'd picked him up after he'd passed out from the pain.

Silva had also stated that the charge had not lost any integrity despite the fact that the boy had been disconnected from the source for well over a half an hour and had in fact been amplified to the point where he'd felt an unexpectedly sharp bite of electricity as the charge jumped from the teen into him. That revelation had Zeno thinking that there was more to James's claim of being allergic to technology other than a minor discomfort stemming from a lack of funds to purchase the latest gadgets that Zeno had originally believed the boy's words meant. All in all, each new piece of information that Zeno learned about James Evans (whose name wasn't even James Evans) only added to the mystery surrounding the enigmatic teen.

Further contemplation of the vexing teen was shelved when Zeno was drawn out of his musings by the young lady that was currently sitting up in the bed beside the unconscious James.

"You'd better not be attempting to get out of taking me on that date you promised me by remaining unconscious, Mr. Evans," Canary growled in an annoyed tone that hid the worry Zeno knew the young apprentice was feeling.

Zeno congratulated himself once more on his decision to encourage the budding relationship between the two teens as he hid a smile from the fierce young woman. He could just imagine the fit Canary would throw the moment she learned that James intended to fight in a war at some point in the near future. As devoted as she was to Killua, Zeno knew that there would be a very high chance that she'd gut the teen (boyfriend or not) if he allowed anything to happen to Killua. It was that knowledge that gave Zeno a potential solution for dealing with his worries regarding Killua's friendship with James Evans.

All he needed to do was convince Gotoh to go along with it.

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**Notes:**

* Partial reworded quote by Riehlvelt from the Japanese episode 34 (Power x To x Avenge)

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**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	28. Inquisition x and x Divination

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Twenty-Eight: Inquisition x and x Divination

Harry was unsurprised to find himself standing in the middle of his mindscape in the blink of an eye after the disaster that his third match had turned into. He also wasn't surprised at the current state of his mindscape (which was in the midst of a violent storm that was reminiscent of the final storm he'd experienced during the last two weeks of his time aboard the Kaijinmaru (only with far more lightning and minus the violent water spout). Sighing, Harry set about taking an inventory of his mind and body's current condition while he waited for his body to heal.

The first thing he did was glance downwards at the ocean beneath his feet where he could see arcs of blue and yellow electricity snaking through the deep greenish-blue waves that rose and fell violently. Now, most visitors to his mindscape would automatically assume that the ocean represented his memories since the unexplored depths seemed like a logical place to hide one's mind. Knowing that, Harry had chosen the ocean to represent his body instead and the sea's current turmoil reflected the pain that had sent his consciousness fleeing into his mindscape.

With a grimace, Harry tore his eyes away from the violent waters below him and glanced up towards the sky; which represented his mind. There wasn't a single patch of blue sky to be seen amongst the broiling grays and blacks of the thick, turbulent thunder clouds; the weather of his mindscape representing his emotions. The dark clouds were reflective of his grief and fear while the lightning and thunder represented his pain and anger; all of the emotions that had been stirred up during his earlier match. He was at least thankful that his physical pain was no longer merging with his mental pain to create a hurricane; which would have represented a mental or emotional breakdown or borderline insanity.

Moving up above the storm of his emotions, Harry focused his attention on his memories next. The first thing he found above the storm was the sun burning hot and bright; the mental manifestation of his negative memories. It was also far too close to the atmosphere that represented his mind instead of out at the edges of his mindscape where it was supposed to be; which wasn't really surprising since two of his worst memories had been stirred up by the pain of being electrocuted.

Letting out another sigh, Harry began the tedious process of pushing the unpleasant memories back to the far edges of his mind. This was not an attempt to repress those memories but to remove the negative influence they had on his mindscape in order to minimize any nightmares those memories would stir while he slept. He'd just started on that when he felt a jolt pass through his mindscape and he ducked his head back below the clouds to find the storm beginning to die down and the ocean mostly free of electrical currents; meaning that something had happened to pull the majority of the electricity from his body.

Harry felt himself relax under the knowledge that his physical pain would eventually fade like it was supposed to instead of lingering and multiplying like it had been. He had half feared that his nerves would be permanently damaged if the electricity had remained trapped much longer and that his mind would break under the constant pain; he had not yet forgotten what he had learned about Neville's parents being tortured into insanity by the Cruciatus Curse in one of Dumbledore's memories during his fourth year. Redirecting his attention back to his memories, Harry finished placing his negative memories back in their proper place before he brought his happier memories forward to sooth his mind.

When Harry finished manipulating his memories, he was laying on top of a pale gray cloud staring up at the night sky filled with millions of stars. Each constellation represented all of the good memories of a person or group of people in his life that had had a positive influence upon him (a couple of examples being Canis Major representing Sirius and Remus and Orion representing the crew of the Kaijinmaru with the memories of the Captain, Jacob, and Gunter located along Orion's Belt and all of his training memories spread over Orion's Club). Those memories that were not associated with those people he considered friends and family (such as his memories of Quidditch games, flying, school feasts, and the parties that had been thrown in Gryffindor Tower during term) could be found spread throughout the Milky Way.

The most recent constellation to be added to the sky was Lyra (a constellation that was often depicted as an eagle carrying a lyre); which represented his budding relationship with Canary. It had actually been rather difficult to decide which constellation he'd wanted to associate with the vivacious apprentice butler since there were a number of them that he felt could easily represent her. The other ones he'd considered were Virgo (an obvious choice since it represented the virgin maiden), Monoceros (the unicorn which represented innocence and purity), Phoenix (representing renewal and rebirth), or Pegasus (representing freedom and imagination in Harry's mind).

In the end, he felt his blue jay was too fierce to be represented by a constellation that would make her appear weak and so chose Lyra. He could have chosen the Lynx for the same reason but wanted to also acknowledge her femininity and felt that the lyre the eagle carried did just that. In fact, the memories of the small handful of kisses they had shared could be found within the lyre as those kisses had set both his blood and his magic to singing. Many of Harry's fans would have been shocked to learn that the notoriously shy Boy-Who-Lived had a sappy closet romantic buried deep within his soul.

Harry closed his eyes and let himself relax as the last of the storm faded out of existence from his mindscape and he slid from unconsciousness into true sleep just seconds later.

He'd eventually wake up to a dark room several hours later feeling weak, sore, and slightly disoriented because he didn't immediately recognize the room he was in. After pushing himself up onto his elbows so that he could get a clearer view of his surroundings, Harry's confusion only deepened when he caught sight of someone curled up right beside him on top of the covers. Cursing his less than perfect eyesight, Harry leaned closer to his unexpected bedmate and felt a mixture of shock and excitement shoot through him the moment he recognized Canary.

Once he recognized his girlfriend, Harry realized that he must be in the room that he shared with Killua and Gon since the day they'd registered on the two-hundredth floor. The tension he hadn't even realized he'd been feeling melted away with the knowledge that he was safe and he let out a soft sigh that became a groan when he sat back up. He was half tempted to curl back up with his pillow and will himself back into oblivion but knew he'd have to grin and bear the pain in order to empty his bladder and take a shower to wash away the dried sweat he could feel clinging to his skin.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Evans?" a voice inquired as a shadow stirred from the chair positioned beside the bed.

"Like I was just mauled by a herd of hippogriffs… or would it be considered a flock of hippogriffs?" Harry half replied and half mused without realizing what he was saying. "Then again, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a dragon decided to roast me for a mid-morning snack and simply forgot to eat me when it finished barbecuing me."

"In that case, would you like me to get you something for the pain?" the voice asked around a soft laugh.

"No thank you, Mr. Zoldyck," Harry replied as he finally recognized the voice of Killua's grandfather. "I was actually contemplating a nice hot shower or maybe a soak in the tub instead."

"I'll go fill up the tub for you then," Zeno stated as he climb to his feet. "If you need any help reaching the bathroom, do not hesitate to let me know."

"I will, sir," Harry breathed with a trace of frustration that was entirely due to his current physical state and not the older man's offer of help.

He felt a brief flash of annoyance when the man chuckled under his breath as he headed towards the bathroom. He just knew the man was laughing at his expense. After a moment, Harry shook his head and let out a sigh as he realized he'd be laughing at himself too if he saw himself behaving so childishly because of an injury. Then again, Harry hated being weak nearly as much as he hated bullies, betrayers, and manipulators. Harry gingerly slid out of bed and slowly let his legs take his weight; bracing himself on the bed to prevent himself from hitting the ground if his legs buckled on him.

Once he was certain that he wouldn't end up on his face, he carefully made his way towards his tent; he was going to need a change of clothes and he suspected that he'd have to deal with at least one emotional house elf if not two (if his past experiences were anything to go by). He couldn't help the pained grunt he let out when he crouched down to enter the tent and again when he found himself being bowled over by a tearful Minky. Harry spent several minutes soothing the frantic elf and making certain that both mother and babies were still okay before he allowed her to collect a change of clothes for him along with a couple of potions that would help wash away the weakness and pain he still felt.

Dobby popped up at that point and scolded him for nearly dying again before breaking down and bawling when he learned that Harry had been electrocuted. When he attempted to reassure the elf that he was fine, Dobby tearfully explained that electrocution was almost always fatal to witches and wizards because their magic attracted the electricity; which was the main reason why witches and wizards avoided most muggle technology and why wizarding homes had gas lamps, stoves, and heaters. The reason why muggleborns and muggle raised magicals weren't informed of this was because a handful of purebloods hoped to reduce the non-pureblood populations through technological mishaps.

If Hermione had not quit Muggle Studies at the end of her third year (which was when most muggleborn and muggle raised students dropped the class because they believed it useless), she would have learned about the hazards of mixing magic and electricity at the start of their fourth year. Most pureblood and halfblood students never bothered passing on the information because they usually learned about the dangers of electricity from their parents and assumed that their fellow students had also been taught the same thing regardless of their blood status.

Harry would have known that as well if he'd bothered to read through the study guide he'd been given for Muggle Studies (something he'd not bothered with since he had been focusing more on the core classes for his O.W.L. studies).

Once he sort of came to terms over the knowledge of how close he'd truly come to ending up dead or insane, Harry asked Dobby to have Bill gather up at least two copies of any books that explained the dangers of electricity for him and to send the second set to Hermione so that she wouldn't be caught unawares like he had. He also made a mental note to write Hermione a detailed letter regarding what had happened to him (once his arms didn't feel like limp noodles) and let her know he was having books sent to her with more information. He'd send the letter with Dobby as soon as he wrote it since he felt it important that she know the risks as soon as humanly possible.

Not long after Dobby popped away to give Bill an update, Minky returned with Harry's night clothes and a handful of healing potions. Harry absently drank each of the potions at Minky's insistence as his thoughts swam around in endless circles inside of his mind. The shell-shocked wizard then backed out of the tent and fell back on his butt as he stared around the room he'd been living in for over a week and noted each blurry device or fixture that was powered by electricity. He felt a brief wave of panic well up inside of him before he stamped down on it hard; he'd been safely using electronics and electrical devices and lights for years. He just had to be a little more careful now that he knew the risks.

Harry couldn't help but think about all of the young muggleborn children that might have been irreversibly harmed because of the purebloods desire to hoard information and he felt a mixture of anger, grief, and disgust fill him as he hissed out, "May Merlin, Maeve, and Mungo preserve and protect me from the pettiness of the purebloods that think themselves superior simply because they were born into a family with a long history of magic."

"Are you alright, Mr. Evans?" Zeno asked with concern when he found Harry still sitting in front of his tent several minutes later.

"No, I don't think I am," Harry bluntly replied as he briefly glanced up at the man. "I will live though; I always do."

"Come on, let's get you up off the floor," Zeno stated after an awkward moment of silence as he offered Harry his hand.

Harry hesitated for a brief moment before he swallowed his pride and accepted the help that he was being offered. He winced over the brief flare of pain he felt once he was back on his feet but promptly schooled his face when he noticed Zeno studying him in the soft light that was spilling out of the bathroom. He then let out a soft groan as he calculated the distance between his tent and the bathroom and wondered if he should have just stayed in his tent and used his personal bathroom instead.

Zeno chuckled over Harry's reaction as he teasingly offered, "I can carry you, if you'd like."

"I think I'll pass this time."

Zeno laughed again as he looped Harry's arm over his shoulder and guided the teen towards the bathroom. Harry was both mortified that he needed the help and grateful for the help since he knew that he would have had a difficult time reaching the bathroom on his own. His mood improved a bit when the healing potions he'd taken finally kicked in and the lingering pain he'd been feeling faded completely. He still felt rather weak but he knew that would pass with time; he just found it annoying to feel so helpless.

Five minutes later, Harry was alone in the bathroom and he wearily stripped out of his clothes and used the toilet before he climbed into the large tub. He let out a sigh of contentment as the hot water quickly soothed his tired and abused muscles as he lounged against the back of the tub. Between the potions and the soothing heat, Harry felt much better and he let his eyes slip closed as he drifted somewhere between wakefulness and sleep.

Harry was drawn back to reality nearly an hour later when Zeno knocked on the door and asked him if he was finished. He regretfully replied that he'd be out in a few minutes as he sat up and pulled the plug. Drying off and putting on his clean clothes turned out to be more exhausting than expected and Harry seriously considered hunting down Riehlvelt and hexing him six ways from Sunday in retaliation. He was still muttering the list of painful things he wanted to do to the man under his breath when he collected his dirty clothes, unlocked the door, and shuffled out of the bathroom.

"Did you wish to lay back down and sleep for a few more hours or would you prefer that I call room service and order you something to eat for breakfast?" Zeno inquired the moment he saw Harry standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"I'm not really hungry right now and I doubt I could keep anything down just yet," Harry absently replied as he focused on crossing the room without falling on his face. "I also know that there is no point in trying to sleep right now."

"Would you be willing to sit with me for a while and satisfy an old man's curiosity?"

"Is that the polite way of asking for permission to interrogate me again?" Harry asked in return as he paused and glanced at the older man.

"I suppose, in a round-about way, the answer would be yes. Though, this time I have no intention in prying into your background; I am far more interested in the skills you have displayed these past three days."

"Somehow that is not as reassuring as you might have intended it to be," Harry muttered under his breath as he shook his head and continued on his way across the room to his tent. Just before he crawled inside, he glanced back over his shoulder and added, "I'll be out in a few minutes; I just need to put my things away and write a couple of short letters to a couple of friends."

He disappeared into the tent and immediately had his dirty clothes whisked out of his hands by a still upset Minky. He felt a small pang of guilt over the fact that both house elves always grew stressed when he was severely injured or magically exhausted. He could understand why, they were both dependent upon him for their magic after all, but that didn't stop him from wishing there was a way to protect them from the pain they experienced. Sighing, Harry gingerly made his way over to the nearest chair and dropped down into it.

Minky reappeared a moment later with a mug of freshly made hot chocolate and Harry thanked her before asking her to fetch him a roll of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink so that he could write a letter; the young wizard had quickly learned that the fastest way to sooth an emotional house elf was to give them work or allow them to personally serve him. Minky returned with the requested materials a moment later and Harry praised her for her efficiency before he focused on writing out two letters; one to Hermione and another for Bill.

In both letters, Harry went into great detail about his experience with being electrocuted before he listed the questions that had been plaguing him since Dobby had first informed him that electrocution was fatal to wizards. He also made it a point to write out several assurances that he was recovering from the ordeal, though he did confess to Bill that he felt highly uncomfortable being surrounded by a large amount of technology now that he knew how much of a danger electricity posed to him. He also let Bill know that he thought he'd be ready to take his O.W.L.s once he fully recovered from his electrocution.

Dobby popped in to collect both letters within seconds of Harry signing his name to the bottom of the parchments. Harry reminded Dobby not to let anyone see him passing the letter to Hermione before he reluctantly allowed Minky to put away his writing things and headed out of the tent to face the one man firing squad that was waiting for him. Just before he left the tent, he gave Minky permission to bake as many breakfast pastries as she desired (knowing that he'd be able to pawn a good number of them off on his younger companions the moment he saw them).

Upon exiting the tent, Harry let out a startled yelp as he unexpectedly found himself face to face with Zeno, who had been inspecting the tent while holding a slightly singed hand; the man had obviously tried to enter the tent when Harry had been inside longer than expected.

"Fascinating security system you have there," Zeno remarked as he glanced between Harry and the tent.

"It's easier to sleep when you know nothing short of an apocalypse is going to disturb you," Harry nervously quipped as he eyed the older man a moment; his worry stemming from the need to keep magic a secret and the knowledge that Zeno wished to ask him a bunch of questions about his abilities.

"Convenient and effective when it comes to dealing with children on a sugar rush?" Zeno inquired leadingly as he smirked at the wizard.

"Absolutely, those two are menaces when they have even the smallest bit of sugar in their system and who knows what kind of trouble they could get into if they had access to my stash of sweets, chocolate, and prank supplies."

"And yet you willingly supply those two with more than half of the sugar they consume."

"Well, yeah; it's safer that way. I have no desire to deal with the frightening monsters they are when they are suffering through sugar withdrawals."

Zeno laughed heartily (if softly, so as not to wake Canary) as the two of them migrated over to the couches and made themselves comfortable. Less than a minute after seating themselves, the old assassin began the inquisition with, "You went through considerable effort to set the stage for your first two matches; why did you not do the same for the final match?"

"I originally planned to but didn't get the props prepared in time to use them," Harry replied as he frowned down at his hands. "I intended to turn the ring into a series of ramps and staircases designed to hinder Riehlvelt's wheelchair. I was unable to focus after my second match though and completely forgot to get everything set up."

"You also lost focus during the final match."

"I went into the match distracted, angry, and weary on top of underestimating my opponent. I had also failed to fully research my opponent's capabilities and had no clue that he could use his whips to electrocute his opponents. On top of that, I didn't take the threat of electrocution as seriously as I should have because I was laboring under the mistaken belief that I had nothing to fear."

"When you first claimed to be allergic to technology, I assumed it had more to do with a lack of funds and access to the latest innovations or a possible case of mild technophobia," Zeno mused as he studied Harry closely. "That isn't the case though, is it?"

"Actually, at the time I told you that, I was mostly just embarrassed that I'd never learned how to use the more advanced technology," Harry confessed uncomfortably. "I was… prohibited from using the various gadgets that were purchased for my… foster brother and once I started attending boarding school, there was a distinct lack of technology available."

"And now…?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably and he dropped his gaze to his hands as he recalled Dobby's revelation regarding electricity and magic. After a moment he shrugged his shoulder and replied, "I can't exactly say; I don't have all of the answers and it will take time before I can get those answers."

"Fair enough, I suppose. Can you tell me what you did to Riehlvelt after you strung him up by his feet? For that matter, how did you destroy his wheelchair?"

"I used Nen based attacks combined with a couple of old family tricks that I was taught," Harry replied without any hesitation.

"I see; and I suppose that your ability to move yourself between point A and point B without traveling the distance separating both points can be explained as another old family trick?"

"Er… what?"

"I was referring to your ability to teleport yourself."

"Teleport…? But I don't know how to teleport," Harry denied as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"How else would you explain the ability to jump from place to place that you used during your match with Sadaso?"

"I don't know… I wasn't paying any attention to what I was doing beyond the need to punish Sadaso for daring to threaten my lady jay and the brats at the time. Are you sure I was teleporting and not just running really fast?"

"I am certain; the way you disappeared and reappeared elsewhere reminded me of the way Grindelwald would vanish each time I caught up to her."

"Grindelwald…?" Harry parroted slowly in confusion before comprehension dawned on him. "Apparation…? But that still should not have been impossible since I was never taught how to apparate." His thoughts then turned inward as he absently mused, "Though I suppose it could have been accidental apparation; I was rather angry at the time. That could also explain how I managed to keep up with Killua when he was attacking Bodoro too. I'll have to search through my books to see if I can confirm that theory though."

"Does that mean that your ability to teleport is another family trick?" Zeno inquired once Harry trailed off.

"Something like that, I suppose," Harry replied as he was abruptly reminded that he wasn't alone. "Though, it's an ability that obviously isn't limited strictly to my family since I'm pretty certain that I'm not related to Grindelwald."

"Do you think it would be possible for you to teach Killua how to teleport?"

"No, his Nen is not compatible with my family tricks; I tested Killua and Gon repeatedly over the past two months."

"That is a real shame; a trick like that could have come in handy," Zeno lamented with true regret before he changed the topic. "So tell me, Mr. Evans, which of the six categories does your aura fall into?"

"Wing has not yet shown us how to determine our Nen type," Harry answered after a slight delay as his brain took a moment to switch gears. "He said something about testing us on that after we'd watched our first match between two Nen users. I'm not certain whether or not mine and Gon's matches this past week will have counted or not though."

"Would you be opposed to allowing me to walk you through the water divination test? I'm rather curious to see what type of Nen user you are since I've not been able to assign the abilities I've seen you use to a single category."

"As curious as I am about that myself, I don't want Wing angry at me for skipping ahead of his lessons; he gets right cranky when we do that."

"What if I promise to insure that your instructor knows that it was only at my prompting that you proceeded without his supervision?" Zeno cajoled as he collected two of the water glasses that were sitting on the coffee table and filled both of them to the brim with water from the pitcher that was sitting beside the cups before setting them on the table several feet apart. The man then got up from his seat and padded across the room to strip two leaves from the potted plant that was standing in the corner of the room between the bathroom door and the main door. Zeno then carefully floated one leaf in each of the cups before he turned to face Harry once more; the anticipation in his eyes unmistakable as he explained the process.

"Water divination in and of itself is rather simple; the hard part is focusing your Ren into your hands and through your hands into the glass of water. The better your control is over your Ren, the more pronounced the results of the divination will be and the easier it is to determine which category your aura falls in. Allow me to demonstrate."

Harry watched with a trace of skepticism (if only because of the man's use of the word divination) as Zeno placed his hands on either side of the glass closest to him before his hands were coated in a thin layer of mist that Harry had come to associate with Ren. The air around both Zeno and the cup of water turned colder as the man fed his Ren into the cup and Harry leaned forward to watch the water in the cup with open curiosity and he tried to determine what it was that Zeno was doing to the water. After a full five minutes, Zeno dropped his hands and the chill in the air vanished as he sat back and smirked at the teen.

"Go ahead and taste the water in both glasses."

Harry complied, dipping his finger first into the untouched glass and bringing a drop of water up to his mouth before he did the same with the glass that Zeno had used his Ren on. The moment the drop from the second glass touched his tongue, he tasted the sharp bitter bite of flavor that was often associated with potent alcohol and twisted his face into a grimace of displeasure over the taste.

"What did you do to it?" Harry demanded as he dug a bar of chocolate out of his mokeskin pouch and took a bite of the candy bar in order to get rid of the foul taste lingering on his tongue.

"I changed the properties of the water with my Ren and transmuted the flavor of the water into sake; a popular Asian wine that is made from fermented rice. Changing the way the water tastes classifies a Nen user as a Transmuter."

"Did you actually change the water into wine?" Harry inquired as his mind automatically brought up memories of Seamus Finnegan trying to turn water into rum.

"No, I just made it taste like wine."

"Oh. So, does that mean that there is no alcohol in the water?"

"That is correct; the water merely tastes like sake now and no matter how much of it you drink, you will not get drunk," Zeno confirmed with a laugh.

"What happens to the water if you are not a Transmuter?"

"If foreign particles appear in the water, then you are a Conjurer; if the color of the water changes, then you are an Emitter; if the leaf moves, then you are a Manipulator; if there is an increase in the volume of water, then you are an Enhancer; and if any other changes occur, bar changing the taste, then you are a Specialist. Why don't you go ahead on give it a try? All you have to do is pool your Ren between your hands and engulf the entire glass for a couple of minutes."

"Okay," Harry agreed without any of the hesitation he'd felt earlier; his curiosity piqued by the process.

Scooting to the edge of the couch, Harry reached out and placed his hands on either side of the glass. He then closed his eyes and concentrated on pulling forth just a small fraction of his magic. He'd barely felt an aura of flames wrap around his hands when he heard Zeno sharply ordering him to stop. Confused, Harry withdrew his magic back into his core as he opened his eyes and glanced towards Zeno into order ask him what he was doing wrong only for the question to die on his tongue as he caught sight of the cup of water he'd been using for the water divination test.

The leaf had been crushed into a tiny ball, sucked to the bottom of the glass, and charred black. Hundreds of crystals that were roughly a centimeter thick ranging from two to eight centimeters in length had formed around remains of the leaf and fused into a cluster of amber tinged shards. What little water remained in the bottom of the glass had turned the color and consistency of fresh sap. A tiny thread of smoke rose from the center of the crystals and carried with it the scent of burnt sugar. And the glass that had held the water had melted and curled outwards, making it look like a cross between a wilted hollyhock flower and an ashtray with the crystal and sap tucked into the heart.

Harry's mouth went dry as he stared at the mess he'd made while the memory of the Inheritance Test he'd taken while at Gringotts flashed through his mind followed by Bill's brief explanation on how the Inheritance Stone worked. When he finally managed to tear his eyes away from the ruined glass, he glanced over at the aged assassin sitting beside him in order to gauge the man's reaction to Harry's botched divination test. The fifteen year old wizard shifted uncomfortably when he noted the stunned look on Zeno's face and he wondered what the man was thinking. He also couldn't help but wonder just what the results of his divination were supposed to mean.

"So, er, which type do you suppose my aura falls into?" Harry tentatively inquired when the silence had begun to grow uncomfortable.

"Hell if I know, Mr. Evans," Zeno replied once he'd shaken off his shock. He then poured out a another cup of water, retrieved another leaf, and set it in front of Harry after shifting his original test results off to one side. Once he finished, he pinned Harry with intense sapphire eyes as he ordered, "Do it again, Mr. Evans. Try using less Ren this time."

Harry sighed as he placed his hands around the new cup, closed his eyes, and drew up roughly half of the magic he'd used the first time. As had happened before, he'd barely coated his hands with his aura before Zeno ordered him to stop. When he opened his eyes to view the results of his second test, he found a near identical mess; the only difference between the two results was the fact that the crystal structure surrounding the balled up remains of the leaf was a lighter shade of amber than the original.

"Again!"

Three more ruined glasses later, Zeno sat frowning at the five melted crystal sculptures ranging in color from pale yellow to burnt amber as he mused, "If I didn't know better, I would say that your results fell into all six categories but that should be impossible. On a positive note, I am fairly certain that you could make a fortune selling the results as handmade crystal sculptures."

"I have a headache," Harry deadpanned in response as he glared down at the decorative messes.

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**10-17-15: **_Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	29. Dating x Trumps x Training

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Dating x Trumps x Training

After he had ruined the fifth glass in his attempt to perform the water divination exercise, Harry had left Zeno to puzzle over the strange phenomenon that was his results while he curled up on the other couch and went back to sleep. He would get another four hours of sleep before he was jolted awake by the arrival of Gon, Killua, and Kalluto; the three boys jumping onto the couch he'd been sleeping on. Harry retaliated by hitting all three of them with mild Stinging Hexes as he stumbled to his tent to take a shower, get dressed, let Minky fuss over him for a bit, and to grab something to eat now that his stomach wasn't quite so queasy.

The moment he crawled inside of the tent, Harry was hit with a wave of enticing scents of warm sugar, earthy chocolate, tangy cinnamon, creamy vanilla, and freshly baked dough. He felt his mouth water as he breathed in the heady scents of Minky's baking spree. Minky noticed him a heartbeat later and Harry soon had his arms full with a much less stressed elf. He spent a good five minutes making certain Minky was feeling better and that the elflings she was still carrying were all fine before he slipped away to take his shower.

Twenty minutes later, he was back in the sitting room collecting a tray piled high with all kinds of still warm scones, donuts, and pastries alongside of a freshly brewed pot of tea, a pitcher of pumpkin juice, and a stack of plates, saucers, and cups. He thanked Minky for all of her hard work before he ducked out of the tent with the overflowing tray to find the room slightly more crowded than it had been when he ducked inside of his tent (the rest of their group had migrated back to the room while he'd been taking his shower). He felt his stomach twist itself into knots when he noticed that Wing was examining one of the glasses he'd ruined in one of his attempts at performing the water divination test.

Before he could start panicking though, his attention was brought back to the tray in his hands as Killua's war cry of; "Donuts!" rang through the room. Snorting in amusement, Harry deftly avoided being tackled by the silver haired sugar fiend before he carried the tray over to the coffee table. He then casually tripped the twelve year old with a wandless Trip Jinx when the brat attempted to charge him a second time before he started serving the adults. Getting Gotoh, the female butler (whose name he couldn't recall), and Canary to allow him to serve them had been a challenge but Harry could be stubborn when the mood struck him and all three butlers all had plates of food and cups of tea in the end.

Killua was not impressed when he was the second to last person served but Harry felt it served the brat right for his rude attempt to take first pick. Harry served himself last, taking two apple turnovers and a glass of pumpkin juice before he sat on the floor beside the coffee table. As he slowly worked his way through his turnovers, Harry's mind worried over the revelation that electricity was lethal to magicals in large doses and the twisted results his water divination tests had produced. It didn't take long for a headache to form as his thoughts continued to chase each other around in circles.

In an effort to distract himself from his circular thoughts, Harry let his eyes search the room for something else to focus on and his gaze eventually landed on his girlfriend. He spent a few minutes allowing his eyes to assess her current health as he recalled the injuries she'd received during and after his second match and frowned slightly when he noticed that she was favoring her right arm and right side a bit. His frown turned into a slight scowl as it occurred to him that he might have failed to heal her injuries completely and he made a mental note to cast a diagnostic spell the first chance he got so he could determine the extent of damage he missed, if any.

He would have preferred to check for lingering injuries right that instant but he doubted that she would thank him for implying she was weak in front of the others. A small half smile soon took the place of his earlier scowl as he imagined just how she would react to him doing something so stupid. He could easily picture his bruises having bruises before she finished taking him to task. The smile morphed into a frown a split second later as he recalled how and why she'd ended up hurt in the first place and he dropped his gaze to the half eaten turnover on his plate as he felt a spike of guilt lance through him.

Harry was distracted from his inner turmoil when Flip and Flop landed on the ledge outside of the window and began tapping on the glass with their beaks. Not wanting to get up, Harry opened the window with a wandless Unlocking Charm followed by a wandless Animation Charm. Flop flew straight to him carrying a reply from Kurapika while Flip deftly stole the donut that Killua had just been about to take a bite from. Harry snickered when the twelve year old let out an indignant cry over the theft as he untied the letter attached to Flop's leg and offered the eagle the uneaten half of the turnover still sitting on his own plate.

After the meal, Wing quite forcefully instructed Harry to perform another three attempts at water divination that would net the same results as his first five attempts. On the final attempt, Wing had had him keep his Ren active for a full five minutes which resulted in the glass melting flat into a puddle and the crystal structure that formed around the leaf growing to twice the size of the other crystal structures from his earlier attempts. Wing had scowled at the eight messes before he promptly confiscated two in which to study, ordered all four of his pupils to start their morning training, and promptly left the room to contact Chairman Netero.

Harry had just climbed to his feet to comply with the order to start his morning training when he was stopped cold by Canary stating, "I do hope that you aren't planning on standing your girlfriend up today, Mr. Evans."

"Never," Harry automatically replied as he racked his brain for a moment before he recalled the date that he'd promised to take his girlfriend on after his three matches were over; a date he'd still not planned out. "I'll just need an hour or so to run through my usual morning calisthenics in order to loosen up a bit so that I'm not so sore. After all, I wouldn't wish to spoil our first date by hobbling about like an arthritic old man."

"I was just making certain," Canary replied with a small satisfied smile.

Harry gave her an answering smile before he ducked back into his tent where the smile slipped off in the face of the mild panic attack he was having over just where he was going to take Canary for their date. He buried the panic beneath his usual morning routine while he considered his options. He briefly considered taking her to dinner and a movie but just as quickly decided against it because he didn't know the first thing about picking an appropriate movie and he got the impression that such a mundane date would disappoint his girlfriend. His thoughts then turned to those activities that he found pleasure in (such as flying and sailing) and wondered if she'd enjoy them as well.

The moment he began imagining how Canary would react to spending a day on the Kaijinmaru, Harry paused in the middle of a sit-up as he realized he'd just stumbled across the perfect idea for a first date. They weren't that far from the ocean and he knew that most marinas rented boats to tourists on top of giving guided boat tours. A relaxing day out on the ocean sailing in a small craft coupled with a romantic starlit picnic on the beach would be a perfect first date in his mind. The potential of seeing his girlfriend in a bathing suit was a huge bonus in his mind; as was getting away from the crowds for a few hours.

Tentative plans set (providing he could get all of the arrangements made in time); Harry ran through the rest of his morning exercises rather quickly in order to save time. He then asked Minky to pack both lunch and supper for two into a picnic basket while he hurried off to take a shower and change his clothes (putting on his favorite pair of breeches). After that, he packed several towels, a bottle of sun block, and a handful of Stone's Teeth into his old book bag before he downed a couple of potions to help deal with the lingering ache he still felt. By that time, Minky had finished filling up the picnic basket with food and Harry thanked the young elf as he collected the basket and slipped out of the tent.

Harry briefly noted that Bodoro was currently watching over Killua, Gon, and Zushi's Nen training and that Kalluto had joined the other three boys (Wing still not back from whatever errand that he was running) while the two senior Zoldycks observed the training. The two adult butlers were no where to be seen at the moment but Canary was absently inspecting her baton as if trying to uncover any flaws in the weighted weapon after Harry had repaired the instrument. The wizard felt extremely self conscious when several pairs of eyes swung in his direction the moment he climbed to his feet.

Shaking off the mild embarrassment he felt at being watched, Harry made his way over to Bodoro to ask, "Bodoro, can I borrow you for a moment?"

"What did you need, James?" Bodoro inquired as the two of them stepped off to one side.

"I was wondering if you'd do me a couple of small favors; I'd normally ask one of the boys to make the calls for me but I don't trust them not to try to prank me this time and I don't want to stuff things up with Canary right now."

"What exactly is it that you need?"

"Well, I was hoping that you'd be willing to call for a cab to take Canary and I down to the marina and that you could call ahead to the marina to reserve a small sloop or a catboat for the rest day. I won't need a crew to help me sail her and any additional fees required to rent the boat at the last minute won't be an issue; I've more than enough to cover it."

"Consider it done, lad."

"Thanks, Bodoro. If you need to get a hold of me before I get back, you can send Flip with a letter."

"When are you going to break down and purchase a cell phone? It would be so much easier to contact you then."

"Probably never unless my doing so will prevent an apocalypse on an astronomical level," Harry quipped with a small smirk and the older Hunter just snorted and shook his head. The teen then thanked the man again before he turned to his girlfriend to ask, "Are you ready to go, Canary?"

"Where are we going?" Canary asked as she rose to her feet.

"It's a surprise."

"How long are the two of you going to be gone?" Zeno inquired curiously as his eyes traveled between the two teens and the picnic basket that Harry was holding.

"For the rest of the day so long as everything goes as planned. I expect that we'll be back no later then ten tonight, if only because of the traveling that we'll be doing."

"I see, well do enjoy yourselves. If something comes up and we need you to return sooner, we'll call you."

"Er, I don't have a phone…"

"You may not have one but Canary does," Silva pointed out with a chuckle.

"Oh, I should have realized that," Harry murmured as he blinked at Killua's father before he shook of the mild surprise and turned back to his girlfriend. "Shall we head out, my lady jay?"

"Oi, can we come too?" Killua demanded as the couple headed for the door.

"Eh, no; you have training and I need a vacation."

"You're so mean… and you have training too!"

"Oh trust me, I'll be doing plenty of training; after all, it takes lots of practice to be a proper boyfriend and Merlin knows that I need all of the practice I can get seeing as how inexperienced I am when it comes to relationships," Harry quipped as he opened the door for Canary. "And the last thing I want to do is disappoint my lovely girlfriend; she's got a mean right hook and a wicked backswing and she's not above using both whenever the mood strikes her."

The three adults in the room chuckled while the four kids were wearing expressions of confusion or disgust; they were all still just a little too young to appreciate the idea of girlfriends and dating, after all. Harry whistled a jaunty tune as he closed the door behind him and fell into step with Canary as the two of them headed towards the lifts. He enjoyed tweaking Killua's nose despite knowing that the kid would undoubtedly make him pay for it later; it was just too much fun riling him up.

"You do know that I am not overly fond of surprises, right?" Canary asked the moment the doors to the lift closed and began dropping them down to the first floor.

"Yes, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I tried to make our first date a pleasant surprise for you. And, if it turns out that you don't like my surprise, I will promise to never try to surprise you again."

"I suppose I can live with that… of course, not knowing where we are going means that I'm undoubtedly going to end up being either overdressed or underdressed for the occasion."

"Don't worry; I have an idea on how to fix that for you once we arrive at our destination."

Canary just arched an eyebrow at him in response and he gave her a crooked grin before offering her his hand as the lift reached the bottom floor. She huffed softly before she accepted his hand and threaded her fingers through his as the door to the lift slid open to reveal the crowded lobby. They then stepped out of the lift together and Harry steered her towards the exit where the taxi that Harry had asked Bodoro to arrange for him was just arriving. The trip to the seaside was relatively short and the two teens spent that time discussing their hobbies.

Just before they reached the marina, Harry had the driver stop at one of the many clothing shops that lined the streets so that Canary could pick out something more appropriate to wear on a boat or at the beach. His girlfriend gave him a calculating look when he offered to pay for her new clothes but she allowed it when he pointed out that it was only fair for him to pay for her purchases since it was technically his fault that she wasn't dressed for the occasion. Forty-five minutes later, the taxi dropped them off outside of the marina's office and Harry quickly paid the fair and gave the driver a generous tip for allowing the side trip.

It would only take the wizard fifteen minutes to fill out the required paperwork and pay for the rental; his Hunter's Card negating the need for him to provide a boating license in order to wave the crew requirement. That would be the first time that Harry actually used his Hunter's License for something other than monetary transactions (the wizard had used the card to transfer his prize money and gambling winnings into his account with the Association's Credit Union). The couple was then led through the docks to their rental boat and Harry was pleased to see that the boat was in decent condition and everything seemed to be in order.

While Canary slipped down into the small cabin at the bow of the boat to change into her newly purchased clothes, Harry removed his cloak (so it wouldn't get in the way), cast off the lines, and started the engine in order to maneuver the boat out of the marina and onto the open ocean. As he steered the boat through the waterways, Harry was immensely thankful to the captain of the Kaijinmaru for sending him to take small craft sailing lessons at one of the ports they'd stopped at as one of his tests. He was also very glad that his godfather had given him the Seafarer's Grimoire as without the multitude of spells that he'd learned from the specialized guidebook, he'd never have been able to sail a boat all by himself.

Harry had just cut the engine in preparation for raising the sails when Canary exited the small cabin. Harry's mouth went dry and all of his blood rushed south as he took in the canary yellow halter-top style bikini top she wore underneath a lightweight and nearly see through white over-shirt that she wore unbuttoned and shorter than expected white shorts through which he could just make out the outline of the matching bikini bottoms she was wearing. He wasn't certain which he found more fascinating; her long toned legs or the bare stretch of skin that spanned from the bottom of her ribs to the top of her shorts. And while her uniform didn't hide her growing form, it also didn't emphasize her figure the way her current outfit did.

"Is there something wrong with the boat?" Canary inquired as she glanced around at the relatively empty expanse of sea surrounding them.

"Er, no… I was just getting ready to raise the sails," Harry absently replied as he tore his eyes away from Canary's firm stomach and scrambled about the boat to deal with the various tasks that needed to be done before he could haul the sails up into place; the familiarity of the process helping him to center himself. After a moment he added, "If you need it, I brought sun block; it's in my book bag."

Twenty-five minutes later, Harry was seated at the tiller in nothing but his breeches (his shoes and shirt quickly discarded at the first opportunity) with Canary tucked up against his side as the boat skimmed lightly over the water. A number of spells kept the boat on an even keel, kept the sails filled with wind, and gave the boat a boost to make it move through the water easier. A specialized proximity ward would alert him to any submerged hazards (such as rocks) or other craft in the area which allowed him to just sit back and enjoy the ride and the feel of his girlfriend pressed up against his side. The fact that Canary appeared to be enjoying herself just as much was a large bonus in Harry's book.

They would stop for a late lunch around one thirty, Harry bringing down the sails to let the boat drift a bit as they ate the sandwiches that Minky had made. The two of them would lounge about the boat after that; both of them enjoying the piece and quiet as the ocean gently rocked their boat. Harry was half dozing (his magic and his body still both recovering from the day before) when Canary's voice pulled him back to full consciousness.

"I watched your match against Riehlvelt while you were unconscious last night," Canary announced without looking in his direction. "Riehlvelt was far weaker than you, he should not have been able to catch you off guard the way he did; you ran right into his attack."

"I let my anger cloud my judgment and I had not slept well the night before that match and was therefore not at my best," Harry replied quietly as he sat up and stared out over the water. "I also made a mistake when I arrogantly thought that there was nothing that he could do that would hurt me."

"At least you are aware of your mistakes," Canary murmured a moment later. "I trust you won't make the same mistake again?"

"Not if I can help it; I do try to learn from my mistakes."

"Good."

Silence fell over the pair for a few minutes before Canary asked, "Who is Tom?"

"What…?" Harry demanded as he snapped around to stare at Canary with wide eyes; his heart pounding away in his chest as he prayed she hadn't just asked what he thought she did.

"Right after you destroyed Riehlvelt's whips, you called him Tom. You were taunting him about failing to kill you."

"Bloody buggering hell," Harry cursed as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose for a moment; his thoughts swirling chaotically as he recalled that brief moment when he hadn't known up from down and had thought he'd been back in the graveyard facing Voldemort once more. He then remembered Zeno's suggestion about coming clean with Canary about his age and Gotoh's promise of pain if he should hurt Canary. His shoulder tensed as he mentally struggled with what was right, what was required, and what was easy.

After close to ten minutes of strained silence between the two of them, Harry finally reached the only decision that he could live with and he hoarsely replied, "Before I answer your question, there are a couple of things that I need to tell you and how you deal with that information is going to determine whether or not I answer the questions you are bound to have. It's something I probably would have told you in time anyway; I'd just hoped that we'd know one another better before I brought it up."

"I'm listening," Canary stated cautiously.

"The first thing you should know is that I lied about my age; I'm only fifteen, sixteen this July," Harry admitted as he opened his eyes and glanced sideways at Canary. "The other thing I lied about was my parents; my father never abandoned my mother and my mother didn't get rid of me the first chance she had. I'm still an orphan (both of my parents were murdered when I was fifteen months old) but the foster family that raised me was loosely related to me by marriage. Everything else I've told you and the others was mostly the truth. And the only reason I told the lies I did was to protect myself and those around me from my enemies; which is why I tried to stick with the truth as much as I could."

"If you changed your age and parentage to hide who you were, does that mean that you changed your name as well?"

"Sort of… James is my middle name and Evans was my mother's maiden name."

"Who else knows the truth?"

"Chairman Netero and a small number of people back home know everything and Mr. Zoldyck… er Zeno knows some of it," Harry answered after a brief moment's thought. "I'll probably eventually end up telling Killua and Gon as well and I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Zoldyck… if Zeno tells Mr. Zol… er, if he tells Silva what I've told him. I think I can see why both of them prefer for people to call them by their first names; it gets confusing referring to both of them by their last name."

"And all of the things you told me about how you felt about me? And the claim you made about never having another girlfriend and never kissing a girl before?" Canary challenged as she ignored Harry's comment about her employers' names.

"The truth; every last word," Harry swore as he glanced up to meet Canary's gaze. "You are the first and only girl to ever kiss me, the only girl I've ever kissed, and the only girl I want to kiss. I'll admit to being a bit of a flirt at times but most of the people I've flirted with are friends and they know that I'm teasing them and that nothing will ever come of my teasing. I've never seriously flirted with a girl I liked until I met you and actually went out of my way to avoid most of the girls I knew because most of them were fan-girls."

"Fan-girls…?"

"Unfortunately, yes, I have fan-girls and some of them were easily old enough to be my grandmother; and no, I'm not referring to those women and girls that watched my fights. Though I suppose I should probably count them too since they aren't that much different from the rest of my fan-girls. I also have fan-boys but as far as I'm concerned, they don't exist. I avoided all of my fans like the plague."

"Are you that popular then…?"

"Not exactly… I suppose you could say that I'm something of a celebrity in certain circles because of something that happened the night my parents died. My popularity tends to rise and fall depending on whether or not my fans are happy with me. More often than not I'm highly unpopular because I've gone and done something they don't like or because they learned something about me that didn't fit in with the image of me that they had built up over time."

"And Tom? Who was he? Was he one of your fans that disliked something you did?"

Harry snorted over the idea of considering Voldemort a fan and the sudden mental image of the Dark Lord actually squealing like a fan-girl and bouncing in excitement as he begged Harry for an autograph actually made Harry's stomach churn in revulsion. He shook his head to clear away that terrible image before he replied, "Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as the Dark Lord Voldemort, is the man who murdered my parents. Well I say man but he's really more of a monster who shed his humanity long before I was born. He's also something of a terrorist."

"During your match with Riehlvelt, you had mentioned that Tom had failed to kill you more than once…"

"Aye, he's tried, and failed, at least six times so far."

"Is he the reason you why you created an alter ego?"

"He's one of the reasons… but he's not the only one out for my blood; I have many powerful enemies. That's one of the reasons why I work so hard to get stronger."

"You plan to fight," Canary stated with a slight frown.

"It's either prepare to fight them and bring them down any way I can or try to run until they finally corner me," Harry replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I've never backed down from a fight and I refuse to live my life forever looking over my shoulder until the day they come to kill me. The only reason I left the country when I did was because I needed time to grow stronger and to come to terms with the knowledge that a man I'd considered something of a grandfather was one of those that sought to kill me."

"And will you be the only one fighting?"

"No, I have a number of friends and… associates that have sworn to help me."

"Do you plan on taking Killua and his friend with you?"

"No, but the two brats will probably find a way to tag along anyway; they're far too stubborn for my own good."

"If anything happens to Killua…"

"I'd kill myself before I allowed any harm to befall either boy and any idiot that manages to harm them will wish for death before I am through with them."

"You know I won't be pleased if you get yourself killed either, right?"

"Does that mean that you aren't going to kick me to the curb for lying about my age?" Harry casually asked in a slightly hopeful tone.

"No, I won't dump your ass for adding a couple of years. I will, however, hurt you if you lie to me about anything else."

"I may withhold information now and then if I feel its necessary to protect you or another or if it's classified information that you don't have clearance to know but I will never lie to you or anyone else about anything that isn't part of my cover as James Evans… since I have no plans to stop using my cover any time soon."

"Good, I'll hold you to that," Canary stated with a sharp nod. She then curled back into his side before adding, "I also appreciate the fact that you told me the truth now. I would have hated to learn the truth from someone else."

"Even if Mr. Zol… Zeno hadn't suggested I tell you soon, I would have done my best to insure that you heard the truth from me," Harry assured her as he gradually relaxed once more. "I hate hiding who I am from those I've befriended over the past eight months or so but I can't afford to be stupid or my friends and self-made family back home will be the ones to pay for it. You should also know that I haven't told you everything but the information I've withheld is stuff that I am bound by law not to speak of to those who aren't already aware of the society to which I belong."

"You belong to a secret society?"

"Something like that… I'm not sure if I can really consider myself part of that society any more. I am starting to think of myself more and more as a Hunter first and foremost."

"And how does one join your secret society?"

"A person is either born into the society, have a close family member that was born into the society, or they marry into the society."

"Sounds like a very insular society."

"Oh it is; very much so. It's also a very antiquated society… or at least the sector I grew up in was rather antiquated. I'm not certain how our sister societies in other nations are run since most of my knowledge regarding the society as a whole was restricted by one of those that wish to kill me. I'm fixing that now but there is still much that I need to learn."

Nothing more was said on that topic; there wasn't really much more that could be said, not without breaking the Statute of Secrecy and Harry wasn't quite ready to do that yet. Canary was content to let the topic drop as well; the older teen currently satisfied with the information that he had shared with her. The two of them then spent another hour enjoying the peace while discussing the differences in the training they'd received to date. At the end of that hour, Harry raised the sails once more and turned the boat around so that they could head back to the marina. Harry felt rather sad when they reached the point where he had to furl the sails once more so that he could maneuver the boat back to the dock.

Another hour was then spent waiting around as the marina employees did a quick inspection of the boat (to make certain he hadn't damaged it). After that, Harry had the damage deposit he'd been required to provide returned and the two of them were free to leave the marina. Instead of immediately grabbing a cab and heading back to Heaven's Arena, the two of them made their way to the public beach beside the marina and commandeered a barbecue pit to start a campfire in while they camped out on the large blanket Minky had packed in with the food and ate supper.

After their meal, as they sat watching the waves crashing onto the beach beneath the starlight, Harry called on his Gryffindor brashness to ask, "So, my lady jay, did you enjoy today's adventure?"

"Yes," Canary replied after a brief moment of consideration. "I was pleasantly surprised with the level of originality that you displayed in your choice for a first date. I half expected you to take me out to a movie or to a fancy restaurant. It makes me curious as to what you could possibly come up with for a second date."

"Was that permission for me to surprise you again in the future?"

"Yes, so long as you don't intend to make surprising me too much of a habit."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind when planning any future dates. In the mean time, do you think Messrs. Zoldyck and Zoldyck will stay long enough for me to take you on a second date before they return to Kukuroo Mountain?"

"They originally planned to remain until the fifteenth so that they could watch all three of your matches as well as spend some time evaluating Killua's growth over the past couple of months. I do not believe that they will have made any changes to their plans since we arrived but you would have to check with Master Zeno in order to confirm their date of departure."

"I'll make sure to ask him the next time I see him then," Harry stated as he cast a glance at his girlfriend's profile. "If they still intend to stay until the fifteenth, would you like to go on another date with me?"

"Yes, I think I would."

"Brilliant," Harry softly crowed as a pleased grin curled the corners of his mouth up. "Since I already promised not to make it a habit out of surprising you, where would you like me to take you for our second date?"

"Have you ever been rock climbing or cliff diving before?"

"No but I came close to doing both during the revised second task for the Hunter's Exam; they had us collecting eggs from the spider eagle nests in the canyon that bisects Mt. Mafutatsu."

"There is a training center not far from Heaven's Tower where you can hire an instructor or just practice climbing and diving if you already know how."

"Sounds like fun. Did you wish to spend an entire day at the training center or just long enough for any training slash practice we need before heading out to one of the local mountains for some actual climbing and diving?"

"The training center requires you to take a three week training course or put in a minimum of thirty hours of training before they will sign off on a climbing permit that will allow you to enter any of the local reserves where the best cliffs are located," Canary explained instead of just answering the question. "Unless you have prior experience; then they just ask you to take a three hour refresher course. I already have an active permit because I spend a couple of weeks each summer visiting some of the more remote cliffs throughout the continent."

"I'm sensing that there is more to your request than just spending a few hours in the training center."

"True, I was hoping that you'd be willing to take the full training course so that we could go rock climbing and cliff diving together this summer. The first visit would basically allow you to see if you have any natural talent for climbing and if it is something you might enjoy; after all, you've frequently mentioned how at home you are when climbing and diving about the rigging on a ship's deck."

"In that case, it sounds like I'm going to have to make arrangements for us to spend at least half a day at the training center in question so that I can properly learn how to chase my girlfriend up the side of a cliff."

Canary laughed in response before she captured his mouth in a searing kiss.

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**Translations:** Japanese to English

Mount Mafutatsu – Mount Split-in-Half

**Definitions:** Nautical Terms

Catboat – a type of sailboat  
Sloop – another type of sailboat  
Tiller – a lever that is attached to the rudder and used for steering

**Notes:**

Climbing permits – I don't actually know if such a thing exists. I am pretty certain that most training centers that offer rock climbing lessons recommend that you to put in a certain number of hours before attempting live climbs though. I've never actually taken climbing lessons though, so all I know is what I've seen and read about here and there. The reason I am having climbers required to apply for and earn permits is because I think it common sense to require people to know what they are doing before they are allowed to actually go out there and climb up the side of a cliff; if only to prevent people from doing themselves serious harm.

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**10-18-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	30. A x Mistake x Unveiled

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Thirty: A x Mistake x Unveiled

Harry stretched languidly as he slowly woke up. The moment conscious thought returned to the teen, a smile tugged at his lips as he relished his memories of his first ever date. The smile only grew larger when he recalled his conversation with Zeno after the couple had returned to Heaven's Arena the night before; when the aged assassin confirmed that he (and those he'd brought with him) would be staying until the evening of the fifteenth. When Zeno had learned why Harry had been asking him about his departure date, the man had insisted on making the arrangements for both the date and for Harry's training course. After making three attempts to protest, Harry caved and let the man have his way.

A snort of amusement escaped Harry as it occurred to him that Zeno was every bit as stubborn as Killua. He supposed that the kid had to have gotten it from somewhere. Harry knew that he'd gotten his stubbornness from both sides of his family but mostly from his father (his temper was all from his mother's side of the family, though). Harry's good mood stayed with him as he dragged himself out of bed, ran through his morning exercises, and got ready for the day.

Once he had taken a shower and put on clean clothes, Harry wandered out of his bedroom so he could say good morning to Minky. He'd barely finished his morning tummy inspection when Dobby popped up with a several letters and packages in hand; including the long awaited reply from Chairman Netero. Harry accepted the entire lot and thanked Dobby for delivering them before he spent several minutes listening to Dobby's report on the current state of affairs at Hogwarts and in the wizarding world. Harry then made the mistake of asking Dobby if he was still overworked.

Ten minutes later, Harry was bonding yet another pregnant house elf (whose name was Pinny); this particular female was actually Dobby's girlfriend (elf-friend…?) and barely two day's along in her pregnancy; which meant that she was still carrying ten unborn babies.

After the bonding was complete, Harry fixed his gold laced emerald eyes on Dobby and asked, "How exactly is Pinny going to be able to help you if she is unable to pop back and forth due to her pregnancy?"

"Pinny loves cleaning old houses more than Dobby," Dobby explained as he nervously twisted the red and gold pillow case he now wore. "Master Harry has four big houses to clean and Dobby can't always clean them all because Dobby doesn't have time to clean. Pinny can clean one house each week and Dobby can be popping her between Master Harry's houses on weekends."

"I see," Harry murmured as he continued to hold Dobby's gaze. "And just how many more elves do you intend for me to bond over the next couple of months? Are you planning on smuggling all of the female elves out of Hogwarts? Because I seriously doubt that I can come up with enough jobs for twenty-one elves, if I count the unborn elves, let alone a couple of hundred elves."

"There be only four more girly elves at Hogwarts," Pinny stated as she finally calmed down from the influx of magic she received from the bonding. "Girly elves only give birth to one girly elfling in ten. The less elflings a girly elf carries the less chance there is that a girly elf will give birth to another girly elf."

"Wait… only one female in ten? Doesn't that mean that there aren't that many female elves out there?"

"Girly elves hard to find," Dobby agreed as his ears wilted. "Only strongest elves lucky find girly-friend elves. Dobby was not very strong until Dobby bonded properly with Master Harry."

"Huh… I suppose that might actually explain why female house elves give birth to so many babies. Or it might be the high number of babies in each pregnancy that explains why there are so few females and why a magically weak bond produces fewer babies. It almost sounds like a natural form of population control in order to prevent the number of elves from overburdening their source of magic so that there is less of a chance of an elf suffering from a lack of magic. So, you never did answer my question, Dobby; just how many elves are you planning on me bonding?"

"Seven…?" Dobby half answered and half asked as he eyed Harry nervously.

"And how many of them are female elves that are in girly trouble?"

"Only two more girly elf but Tilley is too young to be getting in girly trouble and Veena already has two elflings that were born three weeks ago. Dobby wanted to bring Veena sooner but elflings were too close to being born. The rest of the girly elves are happy at Hogwarts. Dobby also not want his girly-friend loose any elflings, so Dobby brought Pinny first."

"Does that mean that two of the elves you want to bring are Veena's babies?" Harry asked curiously as he once again wondered what a baby elf would look like.

"Yes. Veena not want to lose her elflings again."

"Okay," Harry slowly agreed. "Go collect all seven of the elves you wish to save. I'd rather get everything squared away all at once instead of being blindsided every few weeks. Then we can sit down and figure out who is going to do which chores."

Dobby's green eyes filled with relief and adoration as he gave Harry a quick hug around the knee before he popped away to round up his friends. He returned some fifteen minutes later with a ragtag group of five elves that were both nervous and hopeful. One of the elves was only half the size of the other four and Harry suspected that that elf was the young Tilley. Another of the elves was carrying a bundle on its back, which upon closer inspection, turned out to be a pair of extra small elves that were clinging to the elf's back; making that elf Veena. Upon closer inspection, Harry noticed that neither elflings' eyes were yet open and their ears were furled up to protect their sensitive ears.

Harry bonded with Veena first and through her bonded with her two sons; the bond that existed between the mother and her immature elflings automatically splitting the new bond so that both mother and babes received the magic they needed to survive. Once he'd bonded with the elf mother, Harry coaxed her into letting him hold one of her elflings and he ended up with the little babe clinging to him like a limpet the moment he tried to hold him like a person would hold a human baby. The little elfling let out a little cooing purr as he snuggled against Harry's chest and Harry felt his heart swell with an indescribable feeling as he gently trailed a finger along one furled ear.

He continued to hold the little babe while he finished bonding with the remaining elves; his eyes often straying to the tiny elf (which was not much bigger than a rugby ball) clinging to him. Veena hovered at his elbow but she seemed content enough to let him hold her son. Once the last of the new elves had been bonded, Harry sat on the floor (feeling a bit winded after essentially creating seven new links that siphoned off his magic) and kept glancing from the babe cuddled up against his heart to the swelling stomach of Minky before darting towards Pinny's still flat stomach.

After a while, he noticed that all eight of the adult elves (or near adult in Tilley's case) were watching him expectantly and it finally occurred to him that they were waiting for their orders. Blushing a bit over being caught with his mind wandering (in his defense, babies were utterly fascinating creatures; regardless of their species), Harry cleared his throat and addressed the elves; "Right… the lot of you are probably waiting for chores and whatnot."

Eight elfish heads bobbed in agreement.

"Okay, I suppose we should take care of that first," Harry began as he tried to think about everything that needed to be done and the various obscure jobs he could assign to make the work stretch for all eight (and eventually to be twenty-eight elves – if he counted the unborn babies that Minky and Pinny were carrying and Veena's young elflings). "First off, Dobby; I want you to still be the one to deliver all of my letters except those that I send with Flip and Flop since everyone already knows that you are bonded to me. You will also keep helping Bill. And I think, since you were the first elf that I bonded, that you should be in charge of all my elves. That way, they can go to you if they need something when I'm unavailable."

"Tanker, I want you to take over spying on Dumbledore, Snape, Umbridge, and Filch. Smudge, I'd like you to take over keeping an eye on all of my friends when they are in Hogwarts; Dobby can show you who they are. Dobby, I'd like you to help both Tanker and Smudge for the first week or two so they will know what to do. Dobby already promised Pinny that she could clean my estates… so, Pinny will be in charge of housekeeping for all four of my houses and Tilley will help her take care of the houses since Pinny won't be able to pop back and forth until after her babies are born."

"Jibby, you will be in charge of taking care of the gardens and grounds at all four of my houses. Smudge and Tanker can help you when they have time and so they don't get too bored just watching people. Minky, I'd like you to stay here with me and stay in charge of all the cooking. And Veena, I'd like you to help Minky with cleaning my tent until she has her babies. I'm also going to put you in charge of cleaning any libraries found at any of my houses. If you find any damaged books, I'd like you to either have them repaired if at all possible or replaced if not."

Harry paused and mentally tallied up the chores he'd assigned out to make certain that he'd not missed any of the adult elves before he asked, "Does any one have any questions?"

There were no questions from any of the elves and those assigned to work elsewhere popped away just a few seconds later when Harry dismissed them. Minky then trotted off to start breakfast while Veena collected the elfling that Harry had been holding before she went to explore the tent and clean up any messes Harry had made that morning. Left to his own devices, Harry checked the time before he collected the letters and packages that Dobby had delivered earlier and flopped down on the couch so that he could read the replies he'd gotten in return; starting with Hermione's letter.

_Harry,_

_When I first read your letter, I thought you were trying to play some sort of prank  
on me. It sounded so far fetched that a witch or wizard could be in far more danger  
of being electrocuted to death than a muggle. _

_It wasn't until I brought the matter up with Ron and Ginny that I learned that you  
were telling me the truth. I am sorry that I doubted you; I should have known that  
you wouldn't joke around about something like that. _

_The books that Dobby brought to me helped me to understand better but I just don't  
understand why they wouldn't teach all first years about the danger. It is just so  
frustrating, there is so much that those of us raised in muggle households miss out  
on; like the whole house elf situation. Thank you for asking Dobby to explain that to  
me, by the way._

_Did you know that they purposefully teach useless information in the first year of  
Muggle Studies in order to drive those of us raised in the muggle world out of the  
class just so that they won't have to teach us about some of the more important  
things? It just makes me so mad. _

_Anyway, you had better be more careful in the future! And if you ever figure out  
how you managed to survive being electrocuted with such a high voltage of  
electricity (most everyone in our defense club said you should have died or gone  
insane within an hour or two of being electrocuted) you need to let me know so we  
can figure out how to save others who are electrocuted._

_Love,  
Hermione_

_P.S. Are you still keeping up with your studies like you said you were? You can't  
afford to skip taking your O.W.L.s, they're too important to miss and your entire  
future rides on getting good scores. Just because you are being trained to fight  
doesn't mean that you can slack off on your education, mister!_

Harry laughed to himself over the ranting tone of the letter on top of the scolding tone the post script had taken; it was just like Hermione to be more worried about a lack of knowledge and the mere idea someone would ignore their education. He knew the bushy haired witch had a point though; there was a lot of information that purebloods and halfbloods learned growing up that muggleborns and muggle raised magicals just didn't have a chance to learn; things that could save lives and help muggleborns better integrate themselves into the wizarding society.

Setting aside Hermione's letter, Harry pulled Bill's letter free from the twine that held it to a stack of books and read his letter next.

_Harry, _

_I don't think I've ever met someone with worse luck than you. Next time we meet  
face to face, I am going to check to see if maybe you were cursed with bad luck at  
some point; it's the only reason I can think of why disaster and trouble dog your  
heels so persistently. That or someone is continuously dosing you with Malaclaw  
venom. _

_In the mean time, I picked you up copies of the primers and fairy tale books that  
mum used to teach all of us kids to read when we were growing up. They'll cover  
a lot of the stuff that most purebloods teach their children and hopefully they will  
help you to avoid getting into dangerous situations that could have been prevented._

_Your tendency to attract trouble aside, the Wizarding Examinations Authority has  
scheduled your O.W.L. Exams for June fifth through the seventh. The portkey  
enclosed with this letter is programmed to take you to the nearest testing facility  
based upon your last known location on June fourth at seven a.m. _

_You will be required to remain at the testing facility for the duration of your exams  
and until eight p.m. on the eighth in order to obtain your test scores. If you leave  
the facility for any reason, you will not be allowed to return until after the exams  
are completed, the scores for the portion of the exams you have already taken will  
be thrown out, and you will be required to wait exactly thirteen months before you  
can apply to retake the exams._

_I have also taken the liberty of signing you up for a crash course on both Apparation  
and Portkey Creation to help keep you occupied in between the exams as you are not  
allowed to bring any books or study materials with you to the facility. You will also  
not be able to call upon your elves while at the testing facility as there are wards  
preventing personal elves from entering the facility grounds._

_You can expect to be tested on both modes of transportation on your last day there._

_As your regent, I feel it is my duty to suggest that you approach the W.E.A. once  
you've finished taking all of your exams (including the transportation tests) and  
inform them of your true name and, if necessary, your status as a Hunter in order  
for them to issue you a International Transport License, a Portkey Creation Permit,  
and your O.W.L. scores under both your birth name and your current alias. _

_Doing so will insure that your emancipation cannot be revoked by the Ministry of  
Magic for failing to 'uphold your responsibilities as a legal adult' and prevent potential  
legal entanglements if someone who knows that you are Harry Potter sees you  
apparating or creating a portkey. Just make certain you invoke your right to an Oath  
of Privacy __**before**__ you reveal your true name to them. _

_That will insure that none of the current members of the W.E.A. can speak of your  
dual licenses (providing you pass the transportation tests) and exam scores to  
anyone._

_Take care of yourself out there and don't hesitate to let me know if you need  
anything else._

_Bill_

Harry set Bill's letter on top of Hermione's, pocketed the portkey that had been secured inside of the letter (a piece of neon yellow string), and took a couple of minutes to flip through the small stack of books that Bill had sent him. He even took a moment to skim through the pages that Bill had marked in one of the primers that explained the dangers of electricity. Unfortunately, it didn't give him much more information than he'd already learned from the house elves regarding the matter. Sighing, he stacked the books off to one side and reached for the next package with two letters attached to it; which happened to be from Sirius and Remus.

_Harry, _

_Damn it, Harry; you need to be more careful! I can't loose you too. I've half a  
mind to hunt you down just so I can watch over you and make certain you don't  
do anything else stupid._

_Sirius_

_Harry, _

_Don't mind Padfoot, he's just very concerned about you. We both are. And while  
we know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, we also both know  
that you were not raised in the wizarding world and therefore aren't aware of the  
dangers you can face in both worlds. _

_We'll try to help fix that. I sent your mothering father dog off to hunt down a few  
of his old primers so you can read through them to learn what your father would  
have taught you had you been raised by your parents. That should keep him  
occupied long enough for him to forget about hunting you down. _

_Now, more importantly, are you alright? Are you feeling any lingering pain or  
weakness? Are you having any trouble using your magic? Do you feel off at all?_

_If you feel unwell or notice anything at all off with your magic, you probably still  
have lingering traces of electricity clinging to your magic. The only way I know of  
to get rid of the electricity is to purchase or find a lightning rod, ground the device  
directly into a dry patch of earth, and channel your magic directly into the rod  
until you feel your magic return to normal. _

_Channeling your magic through the lightning rod will draw the electricity out and  
funneling it into the earth will prevent it from latching back onto your magic. Just  
make certain that you are no where near water when you do this; otherwise you'll  
only end up getting electrocuted a second time. _

_Once Padfoot calms down, I'll have him sit down and tell you about the time that  
your father electrocuted himself when he went to visit your mother at her parent's  
house between our sixth and seventh years. It was your mother that saved his life  
at the time. _

_Lily, bless her heart, researched the effects of electricity on magic (and vice versa)  
throughout most of her seventh year because of that incident and she had several  
theories on why electricity was attracted to magic. The concept of using a lightning  
rod to channel the electricity free from a person's magic was one that she came up  
with fairly early on in her research. _

_Sadly, I don't know whether or not her research journals survived the destruction  
of the cottage in Godric's Hollow. I will ask Sirius if he knows what happened to  
them when he's more himself._

_Do try to be more careful in the future, Harry. _

_Remus_

Harry wrinkled up his nose as he tried to decide whether to be touched or annoyed at Sirius's short letter. He ended up deciding to just be happy with the knowledge that Sirius cared about him enough to be overprotective of him. It helped to know that Remus was running interference in order to keep his slightly unbalanced godfather from hunting him down as threatened. He was also grateful to the werewolf for providing the information regarding the lightning rod; he'd have never thought of trying to ground himself out in order to get rid of the electricity in him.

That made him wonder what had happened to the majority of the electricity that had been trapped inside of his body after Riehlvelt had electrocuted him. He distinctly recalled his entire body still brimming with electricity just before he'd passed out on the way back to the locker room. He also remembered that something had drawn the electricity from him before he'd regained consciousness. Shrugging off the mystery for the moment, Harry set Sirius and Remus's letters off to the side with Bill and Hermione's letters and stacked the books they had sent him with the ones he'd received from Bill before he reached for the final letter; part of him noting there were a couple of duplicates between the two stacks.

The moment he realized that the last letter was from Chairman Netero, all other thoughts fled from Harry's mind as he tore into the letter in hopes of finally having his questions regarding the differences between Magic and Nen answered.

_James, _

_I had forgotten how useful house elves can be to their families and I would like to  
thank you for granting me with the permission to call upon your elf in the event of  
an emergency or if I need to send you sensitive information. I also need to apologize  
for taking so long to answer the questions you posed to me in your first letter; I am  
a busy man though and it took me a while to make the time to sit down and write  
this letter. I also needed time to refresh my memory._

_Now, to understand the differences between magic and Nen, the first thing that you  
have to understand is that both magic and Nen are born from a person's aura and  
that all living things have an aura; even plants and animals. An aura is the life  
energy that all living things possess and it is what separates the living from the  
dead. _

_In non-magical humans, the alignment of an individual's aura will place them into  
one of six categories; Enhancer, Transmuter, Conjurer, Emitter, Manipulator, and  
Specialist. The categories themselves should be fairly self explanatory but if you  
need clarification, I am certain that Wing will be happy to answer any questions  
that you have, if he hasn't already through the course of your training. _

_For now, all you need to know is that each person falls into one of those six  
categories. It is possible for a person to use the ability of another type but the  
ability they have using a type that does not match their alignment will always be  
far weaker than if they were to strictly focus on utilizing the alignment in which  
their aura falls. _

_However, in magical humans, an individual's aura alignment is not quite so simple  
because a magical's aura doesn't fall into any one category. This is because a  
magical aura is made up of all six aura types and that is what sets a magical apart  
from their non-magical cousins. _

_Now, just because a magical's aura is composed of all six types, does not mean  
that each magical can use all six types of abilities to the same extent. I am certain  
that you have noticed that you find certain types of spells easier to cast than others  
and that the same is true for your friends. This is because the mix of auras is rarely  
ever equal and will vary from person to person. _

_The next difference between Nen and magic lies in the fact that the aura of a magical  
is far denser than that of a non-magical and has a higher temperature due to the  
meshing of all six aura types together. Something I'm sure you've noticed during your  
training. This means that even a weak wizard with limited training in the use of Nen  
can potentially overpower a veteran Nen user by force of will. _

_Another way in which a magical differs from a Nen user is that magicals have no  
need to open their aura nodes in order to use their aura while a non-magical  
person must open their nodes in order to use Nen. Over time, a magical may  
partially open their nodes through meditation or through the use of wandless  
magic but few magicals bother. Using a focus (such as a wand or staff) allows  
magicals to bypass the need for opening their aura nodes in order to use their  
aura. _

_In fact, it is not advised for magicals to fully open their aura nodes due to the fact  
that a magical's nodes function as a limiter in order to allow a wizard to maintain  
control of their magic. They also act as a filter for a wizard's magic; allowing them  
to mold their aura into a specific shape designed to perform a specific functions; the  
end result is the spells that all magicals can use with varying degrees of success. _

_This is especially true when it comes to controlling their magic when they experience  
extreme emotions. That is why I specifically instructed Wing not to open your aura  
nodes._

Harry sucked in a sharp breath and stared at that last sentence as a knot began forming in his belly. His ears soon began ringing as he distinctly recalled the exact moment when Wing had opened his aura nodes on the day he'd first met the older Hunter and how much trouble he'd had since then in controlling his magic and performing the Nen exercises that Wing had taught him. He began hyperventilating as he recalled his loss of control after his match against Sadaso, when he'd killed the group of thugs that had dared to attack Canary in order to get to him while blinded with fury.

The fifteen year old calmed down just a couple of minutes later when Minky called his name and announced that breakfast was ready. Shoving Netero's letter into his pocket, Harry took a deep breath and thanked Minky as calmly as he could before he collected the tray of food that Minky had made and ducked out of the tent. He still felt slightly numb as he carried the tray of food to the table so the others could eat when they got up. Any hunger Harry might have felt had fled with the knowledge that Wing had gone against a direct order from Chairman Netero.

He just didn't know whether or not the man had done it on purpose or if the scatterbrained man had simply forgotten that he wasn't supposed to open Harry's aura nodes.

Wandering over to the window, Harry propped himself up against the wall and stared at the city below without really seeing it as he tried to contain his growing panic. He had no idea what he was going to do about what Wing had done; he didn't even know if it was possible to close one's aura nodes once they'd been opened. He also didn't know whether or not he should be angry with Wing. Chairman Netero had claimed to trust the absentminded Hunter but the man had gone against Netero's orders not to open Harry's nodes.

After a few minutes, he realized he had no idea whether or not Chairman Netero knew that Wing had gone against his orders. Pushing aside his worries, frustrations, and insecurities for now, Harry pulled Netero's letter back out of his pocket and smoothed it out a bit in order to finish reading the letter. It only took him a few seconds to pick up from where he's left off.

_I was recently made aware of the fact that Wing did not follow my directions; as I  
am sure you now know. It was that knowledge that prompted me to sit down and  
finish this letter instead of allowing my duties to distract me once more. _

_Now, while Wing most certainly made a mistake, he did not do so out of malicious  
intent. I have no doubt that he will apologize profusely to you the next time he sees  
you and I have ordered him to take your Nen training to the next level in order to  
help you mitigate the negative repercussions associated with having your nodes  
opened. _

_I will ask that you please allow Wing a chance to explain himself to you before  
you refuse to accept any further help from him. You also need to keep in mind  
that while Wing is fully aware of the magical world, he is unaware of your status  
as a wizard and therefore was unaware of the risks involved in opening your aura  
nodes. If you still can not bring yourself to work with Wing after hearing him out,  
then I will make arrangements to have another Hunter take over your training. _

_Moving on, the next thing you should know is that learning to use Nen based  
attacks is not much different than learning how to use wandless and wordless  
magic except that there is no need to worry about trying to structure Nen based  
attacks around incantations or wand movements. Meaning, that you are not  
required to first learn how to cast the 'attack' as a spoken spell with a focus  
before you can use it silently without a wand. _

_Once you have finished your training with Wing (or another Hunter should you  
not wish to remain Wing's student), I will turn over your great-grandfather's  
journals on mastering Nen as a magical. It is important that you have a solid  
grounding in the basics before going through his research notes though, which is  
why I did not give them to you sooner. _

_If you have any questions or concerns, you are more than welcome to contact me  
and I will do my best to address them._

_Chairman Netero_

Harry pursed his lips as he considered the letter in his hand, his interactions with Wing over the past month and a half, and the still uncertain future looming on the horizon. That line of thinking soon had him wondering what the hell he was supposed to do about Voldemort, Dumbledore, and all of the other problems waiting for him back in the wizarding world. His brooding was interrupted at that point by a loud knock on the door and Harry reluctantly tucked away his worries, frustrations, and insecurities as he crossed the room to answer the door.

The moment that Harry opened the door and found a disheveled Wing standing in the hallway, he let out an angry snarl and glared at the man before he slammed the door in his face. Harry knew that Chairman Netero wanted him to give the man a chance to explain why he'd done what he did but Harry wasn't prepared to deal with the other Hunter just yet. He needed time to sort out his feelings first. Wing knocked on the door again but this time Harry just ignored it as he stalked away from the door.

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**10-18-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	31. Settling x Old x Grudges

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Thirty-One: Settling x Old x Grudges

Slipping into his tent, Harry spent the next two hours practicing his stances and katas in order to burn off his frustration and regain control of his emotions (least he lose control of his magic). He then spent another hour cuddling with both of Veena's elflings; the fifteen year old marveling over the knowledge that the tiny beings clinging to him would one day be fully grown elves. He also couldn't help but be humbled over the fact that Veena trusted him enough to allow him to hold her babies (the wizard had only ever asked, not ordered, the young mother if he could hold them).

By the time Harry returned to the two babes to their mother at the end of the third hour, Harry was feeling far more in control of his emotions. He was also finally feeling hungry enough to eat a light lunch after skipping out on breakfast because of what he'd learned in Netero's letter. After the small meal, Harry figured he'd better show his face outside of the tent least one of the others start thinking something had happened to him.

He hesitated for a full minute in front of the exit, part of him well aware that there was a high chance that Wing would be in the room. Sighing in resignation, Harry pulled on every ounce of Gryffindor courage he possessed and made his way out of his tent. He'd barely straightened up when he found himself being addressed by Wing.

"James, could you please step outside with me for a moment? I need to speak with you privately."

"No," Harry replied curtly without even glancing in Wing's direction; his tone catching the attention of everyone else in the room.

"It won't but take a moment…"

"I said no."

"If you will just give me a moment to explain…"

"I will not."

"What exactly is going on?" Zeno inquired with a frown as he glanced between Harry and Wing.

"There is a small private matter that I need to clear up with my student," Wing explained in an exasperated tone. "James, I would prefer to deal with the matter now."

"No," Harry hissed as he finally deigned to meet Wing's gaze with a glare; his irises once more completely gold instead of their natural green. "You need to leave me alone right now. I am more than a little upset about what I learned from Chairman Netero and if you continue to push me, you're going to piss me off. I'm having enough problems controlling my temper right now because of your mistake."

"If you would just give me a moment to explain…"

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose as he ground out, "Will you please just leave me alone right now?"

"Very well," Wing capitulated with noticeable frustration. "Come, Zushi, you have training."

The moment the door closed behind the pair, Harry let out an explosive sigh and threw himself onto the nearest couch as he brought his hands up to massage his temples to stave off the headache he could feel building. A small part of him knew that he had been unreasonable but he really needed more time in order to figure out how he felt about what Wing had done and to determine what that one mistake might cost him in the future. After a few minutes, Harry dropped his hands away from his head and sank further into the cushions of the couch as most of the tension left him.

"What was all of that about, James?" Gon asked after several minutes of silence had passed. "I thought you liked Wing."

"I do like him, for the most part. I am angry with him right now though. He made a pretty big mistake at the very start of our training and actually went against a direct order that Chairman Netero gave him in regards to me personally. I will eventually sit down and talk with Wing about it but right now I need time to deal with what I learned and figure out what his mistake is going to cost me in the future."

"What did he do?" Killua half demanded as he hung himself over the back of the couch so he could see Harry's face.

Harry frowned as he turned to meet Killua's slightly angry and mostly curious blue eyes before he glanced around at the rest of those that were gathered in the room. He then dropped his gaze to his hands as he contemplated just how much he should say and the best way to word his answer. In the end, he figured there was no reason not to just simply tell them the truth.

"He opened my aura nodes after Chairman Netero specifically told him not to."

"But he opened mine and Killua's that day too; so why would it matter so much if he opened yours?" Gon asked in confusion as he sat down on the coffee table right in front of Harry.

"It matters because of my family abilities," Harry carefully explained as he focused on not using the word magic. "The way Chairman Netero explained it to me in his letter, my aura nodes were meant to help me control my abilities and opening them fully made it a lot harder for me to control both my abilities and my Nen; which is why I've struggled so much over the past few weeks." Harry paused for a moment and grew tense before he quietly added, "It's also part of the reason why the thugs that attacked Canary burned to death. And the angrier I am, the harder it will be for me to stay in control of my abilities."

"When are you going to tell us what your family abilities are?" Killua demanded as he scowled at Harry.

"I might consider telling you when you're older, my little stray."

"You're so mean."

"And you're still rude and annoying," Harry quipped back with a small smirk.

* * *

It would take Harry three full days before he finally contacted Wing in order to make arrangements to speak to the man about what he had done. He probably would have dragged things out even longer if not for the fact that he refused to act childish in front of his girlfriend. To that end, he waited until he felt that he had calmed down enough to maintain complete control of his temper before he contacted Wing. The meeting itself was rather short and intense with the older apologizing profusely for his mistake.

Harry heard the man out before he revealed that he was a wizard; something that caught Wing completely off-guard before he slapped himself upside the head for missing the obvious signs (such as Harry repairing his wall – though in Wing's defense he had not previously witnessed magic being used). By the end of the meeting, Harry had lost the last traces of his anger with the man and they made arrangements for him to rejoin the training sessions he'd been skipping out on (or just missing in some cases) since the day of Gon's fight with Gido.

Once he was finished with the meeting he had with Wing, Harry stopped by to speak with Bodoro in regards to the martial arts training that the man had been giving him. Bodoro ended up sparring with him in order to evaluate his proficiency (something else that he hadn't done since Gon fought Gido). At the end of the spar, Bodoro told him that he was doing well and that he just needed to continue practicing regularly in order to master his fighting style.

The older man had then gone on to inform Harry that there were only a small handful of things that he felt he still needed to teach him and once he had done that, the older Hunter would be taking his leave. Harry found himself feeling both proud and shocked by the revelation that Bodoro felt he'd taught Harry nearly everything he could already. He still had a long ways to go before he could be considered a master but he at least knew enough to protect himself if he was ever disarmed.

After those two meetings, Harry's schedule would be busier than ever as he spent his mornings working with Bodoro and his afternoons with Wing. His evenings were then spent revising the material for his O.W.L.s now that he received the date and location for all nine of the exams that he'd be sitting. This mostly involved reading through all of the books he had on each of the nine subjects he'd be tested on, practicing the spells he knew for certain would be covered on the exams, and brewing the five potions that were most often part of the exams.

The only subject that Harry was struggling with at this point was Muggle Studies because he'd not spent as much time studying for that class due to his assumption that growing up with muggles would allow him to breeze through the material. Luckily, Bill had sent him an outline of that information that would most likely be covered on the exam for Muggle Studies so that he could focus on the pertinent material first before he eventually went back and read through everything.

In addition to his Nen training, magical training, and physical training, Harry had signed up for thirty hours of rock climbing and cliff diving lessons at the Rock Climbing Center. Those lessons would be squeezed in during the two hour lunches he took in between his lessons with Bodoro and Wing.

He'd thoroughly enjoyed the four hours he'd spent climbing up the artificial walls with Canary during their second date and he really looked forward to those lessons. The only reason why he'd not earned his permit during that first session was due to the fact that climbing up the face of a cliff required far more thought and skill than climbing up the ratlines of a ship. He also needed to build up his upper arm strength more since climbing a cliff-side used slightly different muscles than sword fighting.

Canary, Killua, and Gon would all attend those lessons with Harry; Canary and Killua mostly just practicing since they both already had their rock climbing permits while Harry and Gon took the actual lessons. Originally, Harry hadn't expected Canary to still be there but Zeno had sneakily made arrangements for Canary to remain behind when the rest of their group returned to Kukuroo Mountain. Before he left, Gotoh had taken Harry aside and given him what he'd later learn was the boyfriend-threatening speech that almost all young men received from the fathers of their girlfriends.

Basically, the formidable butler threatened to use Harry's guts for garters if he hurt Canary in any way, shape, or form on top of threatening to castrate him in the most painful way possible if he ever took liberties with Canary. Harry only promised to do his best not to hurt Canary or do anything she didn't want to do (hey, he was a teenaged boy and despite his mental scarring at the hands of Jacob and Gunter, he was very much interested in exploring all facets of his new relationship with Canary).

Sleeping arrangements needed to be switched around a bit after that since it was decided that the second room that Zoldycks had been staying in was too far away to be useful any longer. It didn't take much to convince Gon and Killua to camp out on the floor with a pair of sleeping bags and let Canary take the bed. Harry would continue using his tent while leaving one of his eagles in the hotel room with the others in case they needed to get a hold of him. He could have keyed them all into the wards on his tent but he wasn't quite ready to reveal his magic to the other three yet.

Canary would quickly integrate herself into the group's training sessions as a sparring partner. She would mostly work with Harry but also occasionally sparred with both Gon and Killua. Harry enjoyed those spars almost as much as he enjoyed the scattered dates the two of them went on every two or three days. Those spars were more than just physical fights designed to pit their skills against one another as Harry continuously flirted with his girlfriend while the two twelve year olds heckled him from the sidelines.

The first time that Harry had stolen a kiss from Canary during a spar, Killua had practically freaked out. Apparently, the kid hadn't put two and two together to get four whenever Harry brought up his girlfriend or when the two teens left together each time Harry mentioned going on a date. That, of course, led to the discovery that Killua had had a little boy's crush on Canary for many years now (not that Killua would ever admit it). Harry felt bad for the kid but not bad enough to break up with his girlfriend. It helped that Killua got over his jealousy fairly quickly when the kid decided that he liked Harry enough to allow him to date his former crush.

There may or may not have been donuts involved in the rapid about turn of Killua's feelings over the matter.

Harry's lessons with Bodoro would continue for just over two weeks; the older man putting Harry through his paces first thing each morning. After the first week, when it became clear that the older Hunter would be leaving fairly soon, Harry contacted the goblins through Bill and made arrangements to purchase the house that Bodoro had leased. It wasn't need that prompted Harry to buy another house but a desire to have a place to stay whenever he visited the area in the future (the wizard fully intended to come back in the future to visit Heaven's Arena to fight or visit the surrounding mountains to climb a few cliffs).

The day the purchase of the house was finalized was also the same day that Killua would fight in his first match since reaching the two hundredth floor. His opponent was one of the less popular fighters on the top floors who had been living on floor two hundred three off and on for almost six years. Incidentally, the man was also the one responsible for crippling the deceased Sadaso just over two years earlier. Killua wiped the floor with the overconfident man in less than twenty minutes; winning the fight and ending the man's most recent stay on the upper floors.

Three days after that match, on the third of May, Harry received his final lesson from Bodoro. The man then spent several hours on the fourth evaluating Harry's skills one last time. The fifth would find the group celebrating Gon's thirteenth birthday; Harry had rented another boat for the occasion and took the entire group out onto the ocean for the entire day. It would be a party to remember complete with lots of food (and fresh donuts), an endless supply of drinks, several presents, a rather spectacular cake (shaped in the likeness of a mule kicking a person that looked a lot like Gido), and fireworks.

Bodoro would say his goodbyes shortly after they returned to the marina two hours after sunset.

The next day, the slightly smaller group would attend another fight; Hisoka versus Kastro. Harry had purchased the tickets as part of Gon's birthday present after overhearing Killua and Gon discussing Gon's grudge against the creepy Hunter and learning about Gon's desire to fight Hisoka. It was a rather educational and tragic fight that allowed Harry to see firsthand just how brutal the costumed man could be. It also proved that Hisoka was just as intelligent and devious as he was bloodthirsty and insane.

Harry once again reevaluated Hisoka's threat level and placed him firmly above both Dumbledore and Voldemort once more; though he still didn't see the man as a serious threat to him personally. That didn't mean he wasn't dangerous, he was; Harry just didn't fear the man the same way as he once had.

Just two hours after watching Hisoka and Kastro's match, the group would run into Gido for the first time since the day he faced Harry in the ring. Gon immediately challenged the bully to a rematch. Gido agreed the moment it became clear that Harry wasn't going to prevent the younger boy from facing Gido a second time. The group then followed Gido down to the registration desk in order to register for their rematch for the fourteenth of May. While there, Harry would be challenged by one of the older tower residents that had a fondness for sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat.

Harry accepted after noting the katana that the man wore confidently upon his hip and their match would be scheduled to take place six days after Gon's grudge match against Gido.

The eight days between Hisoka's match and Gon's second match against Gido were spent helping Gon train. This mostly involved Harry, Killua, and Canary each sparring with the teen once every morning before Gon would spend the rest of the day working diligently on his Nen training. Harry in turn would then spend his afternoons practicing his katas and sword stances in preparation for his fight with an occasional spar with Canary thrown in. There were a few times when Harry almost wished that Bodoro had stuck around a little longer but he quickly put that line of thinking out of his mind since he knew it would undermine his confidence in his skills.

Knowing that Jacob and Gunter would be interested in seeing Harry's first official fight (the wizard did not count the lessons he taught Gido, Sadaso, or Riehlvelt as true matches), Harry sent four tickets for his match to the Captain (one ticket for both of his former trainers, one for Katzo, and the last one for the Captain himself). He wasn't certain that they would make it in time but he hoped they'd turn up to watch the match so that he could see them again. Whether or not they turned up to watch the match, Harry intended to purchase a video of the match for the crew.

Two days after sending off the tickets, Wing had all four of his students perform the water divination exercise in order to learn which category their Nen abilities fell in. Zushi turned out to be a Manipulator, Killua was a Transmuter, Gon was an Enhancer (like Wing), and Harry was classified as a Specialist for simplicity's sake (even though he possessed the ability to use all six types of Nen with the rare potential to use all six with equal effectiveness – the composition of his aura well balanced). He still turned the goblet used into a crystal paperweight though; much to his annoyance.

The fourteenth brought with it a mild downpour that in no way discouraged fans from piling into the stadium on floor two hundred-thirteen where Gon's match would be taking place. Much like the first time Gon faced Gido, Harry escorted his little mule to the locker rooms and watched the fight from the corridor while Wing and Canary watched over Killua and Zushi in the stands. The fight was quick and dirty.

Gido attempted to overwhelm Gon right away but Gon quickly and effectively neutralized all of Gido's dancing tops using Ren alone. The kid had then gone on to use his fishing rod to dislodge the concrete tile that Gido was spinning on to spill him onto the ground before he used his superhuman strength to destroy Gido's artificial leg. Gon then warned Gido to never again come near any of his friends at the same time as he threatened to break the bully's head open next time the man crossed the line.

The very next day, Killua and Gon would be cornered by a revenge seeking Riehlvelt and 'blackmailed' into fighting him since the man knew he was no match for Harry. Both young boys readily agreed (and would have willingly fought the man even without his attempt to blackmail them into the matches). Killua's fight would be scheduled for the seventeenth while Gon would face the paralyzed man on the twenty-second; both boys looking to make the man pay for electrocuting Harry.

Harry felt a touch exasperated when he heard about the two matches and the reason why both of them had chosen to fight the crippled bully but didn't even bother trying to change their minds. A small part of him couldn't help but be touched that they wished to get revenge for what had happened to him during his match but for the most part felt it was silly of them to blame the bully for Harry's own mistakes that day. However, like Harry had told both boys back on the day of Gon's first match against Gido; he wasn't there to babysit them. And if they felt they were ready to face Riehlvelt, then who was he to stand in their way?

That didn't mean he didn't worry about the two stubborn boys. He did. But he also knew that he had to have faith in them and their abilities. It helped to know that both boys had grown by leaps and bounds since they first arrived at Heaven's Arena.

Two days after running into Riehlvelt, Killua would face the bully in the ring and demonstrate exactly why it was unwise to piss off a Zoldyck. Riehlvelt lost fairly quickly due to the fact that he was using an older model wheelchair (the man unable to afford a brand new chair to replace the one that Harry destroyed) and a distinct lack of electric whips (though he had had a pair of steel and leather whips lined with razor wire). Killua was even nice enough to only rough the man up a little bit; in order to make certain that the man would recover enough in time to face Gon on the twenty-second.

Harry was soon distracted from Gon's pending fight by the arrival of Jacob and Gunter on the nineteenth. Any disappointment he might have felt about both the captain and Katzo being unable to be there as well was buried beneath his excitement over catching up with the two sailors. Introducing the incorrigible men to his girlfriend had been amusing since Canary had challenged the two men to a two on one spar the moment they attempted to tease her and Harry about Harry finally landing a girl. Canary handed them their asses in short order.

The wizard would then spar with both men upon their request; they claimed it was to make certain that he'd kept up with his training as promised. Harry limited himself to strictly sword work and everything that Bodoro had taught him over the past three months and while he didn't wipe the floor with them like his girlfriend had (Canary had had the advantage of being an unknown to the two men, after all, and they had underestimated her), he did at least fight them to a draw. The rest of the night was spent just catching up with the two sailors.

His match the next day would be intense. His opponent had far more experience than he did but Harry had both unpredictability and sheer stubbornness on his side. Both man and teen threw their all into the match and the fight was as fast as it was furious; with Harry actually dropping all of his weights in order to increase his speed. That match would mark the first time that Harry 'stepped' between two points in a flash of gold without being caught up in a rage. It would also be the first time that Harry was consciously aware that he was stepping between two points and the wizard dubbed the ability Flash Step since it was nothing at all like apparation (he'd checked).

Harry would ultimately squeak out a win on a technical knock out with a mere one point difference. And the crowd had loved every single second of the fast paced hour long match. Unlike his matches against the bullies, Harry had put his entire heart into the fight and showcased his true skills without giving away all of his strengths or weaknesses and the crowd had loved every second of the fight as a result.

The group would celebrate his win long into the night.

Jacob and Gunter would depart the next day and Harry was sad to see them leave. He'd been half tempted to go with them but brushed off the desire to sail the open seas again when he was reminded of Gon's upcoming match and his pending O.W.L. Exams. He did, on the other hand, rent another boat the day after Gon won his match against Riehlvelt (the thirteen year old had brutally pounded the man into the ground) and spent a relaxing day out on the sea with Killua, Gon, and Canary. When they returned to Heaven's Arena that night, they found an invitation from Hisoka waiting for Gon; the man wanted to fight with Gon.

Gon didn't hesitate to accept the invitation and scheduled the fight for the third of June.

The ten days leading up to his grudge match against Hisoka were filled with intense Nen training for Gon; the kid driven to cram as much growth into those ten days as possible. Killua trained right alongside of his friend; the pale haired pre-teen egging Gon on and pushing him even harder. Harry merely watched and helped when asked while he continued to prepare for his pending examinations and continued his own Nen training (which focused on improving his control over his aura and his emotions).

On the thirty-first of May, Wing tested Harry, Gon, Killua, and Zushi on their Nen abilities by having them perform the water divination a second time (or an umpteenth time in Harry's case). Killua and Gon would show the most improvement during the test; both boys more than tripling the effect their aura had on the water in the glass after the intense training they'd put in over the past two and a half weeks. Zushi had improved substantially too but still fell short of the intangible goal that Wing had set for all four of them. Harry only managed to ruin yet another glass.

In the end, Gon and Killua would be the only two to pass Wing's test, which basically meant that there was nothing further that Wing could teach them in regards to manipulating their Nen; Gon further passing the secret final task of the Hunter's Exam. Harry would be required to step up his training but he wouldn't actually do that until after his O.W.L.s in order to avoid having his Nen training interfere with his fast approaching exams. The two boys were rather smug about passing before Harry but neither one of them teased him too much; both of them well aware that Harry's lack of control stemmed from having his aura nodes opened.

Threatening to cut off the boy's donut supply may or may not have encouraged the rapid decline in teasing.

At five minutes before four in the afternoon on the third of June, Harry escorted Gon to the participant's entrance for the fourth time. As he had for the last three matches Gon had fought, Harry would watch from the corridor where he would be close enough to protect Gon if someone tried to attack him after the match when he was potentially unable to defend himself. And while it wasn't exactly the best seat in the house, it did give him a different prospective from the videos that were made of each match and allow him to see a few things that the cameras always missed.

The time remaining until Gon's match started steadily wound down until Cocco's voice could be heard winding the crowd up for the coming match. Harry tuned the announcer's grating voice out as he focused his attention instead on the platform where he knew that Hisoka (as the more experienced fighter) would appear first. He intended to focus entirely on Hisoka in order to better analyze the costumed Hunter's abilities. Despite the fact that Harry was no longer afraid of the man, Harry knew he was dangerous and he refused to underestimate the threat that the man represented.

At four o'clock sharp, Cocco announced the start of the match by introducing Hisoka and Harry's eyes narrowed as the threads of magic in his eyes expanded outwards until his irises were solid gold. Harry's eyes never once left Hisoka as the man walked down the ramp towards the ring. Once Hisoka reached the center of the ring, Cocco introduced Gon next and still Harry's focus remained on the redheaded man. The referee met the two combatants in the center of the ring and the crowd went wild before all sound dropped down to a low drone as the audience waited for the referee to start the match.

"This match will be scored using the point and knock out system. All weapons are allowed and there will be no time limit," the referee quickly called out before the crowd could grow rowdy once more. "Ready? Begin!"

Harry diligently watched Hisoka dodge the flurry of furious attacks that Gon rained down upon him while only making the barest effort to land an occasional counter-hit on the teen. It was clear as day to him that Hisoka was holding back; the man not even using a quarter of his true strength. A small frown drew Harry's mouth downwards as he immediately drew the conclusion that Hisoka was toying with Gon. It almost made him wish he'd knocked Gon out and kept him locked in a trunk until Hisoka vanished back into the cesspool from which he'd emerged. That, or faced Hisoka himself.

The frown Harry was wearing morphed into a smirk when Gon ripped up a floor tile and kicked the tile so hard that it broke into hundreds of flying projectiles. The thirteen year old then used the distraction to land a clean hit on Hisoka's face that knocked the older man back to the edge of the ring. The smirk soon returned to a confused frown when Gon and Hisoka approached the center of the ring and Gon passed something small and white back to Hisoka before they both backed away from one another.

His frown would then turn into a worried scowl just a few seconds later when Hisoka upped his game and went on the offensive and chased Gon all over the ring for several minutes until he kicked up a floor tile and sent it flying across the stadium floor towards the corridor entrance where Harry was standing. Harry dispassionately watched the fast approaching projectile for several seconds before he whipped out his wand and blasted the block into nothing but dust with a quick jab and a silent incantation. A silent Vanishing Spell cleared away the dust a heartbeat later so that his view was no longer obstructed.

During the half minute his view had been obstructed, Hisoka had continued to attack and landed at least two critical hits on Gon according what he'd heard above the roaring of the crowd and the announcer's annoying screeches. He absently thought Lee Jordan would have done a much better job calling the match even as a part of him wondered whether or not Hisoka had intentionally kicked that slab towards Harry; either to injure him or prevent him from seeing what he had planned.

The fight continued on for several more minutes until Hisoka managed to land another clean hit. Harry then felt himself transported back to the graveyard as Hisoka began monologuing. It was Gon's voice that brought Harry back to the present and he let out a soft growl of annoyance when he realized he'd allowed himself to become distracted. Focusing his attention back on the fight, Harry immediately noted the strand of Nen that connected Hisoka's left hand to Gon's face and he let loose a stream of half muttered invectives as he realized that Gon didn't know it was there.

Hisoka restarted the fight by pulling on the connection in order to drag Gon towards him and Harry winced when the redhead's fist collided hard with Gon's face. The referee awarded Hisoka a critical hit and a knock down (which was worth three points) for the blow and Gon immediately objected because he'd gotten right up. The match ended just one minute later as the older Hunter used his Nen ability to slam a small block of cement into Gon's face to earn a technical knock out based upon total points earned.

It was a rather anticlimactic ending to a fight that had brought the audience to the edges of their seats. Harry briefly wondered if Hisoka had paid the referee to award a high number of points in his favor or if the referee was simply looking out for Gon because of the wide gap in skill between Hisoka and Gon. He was drawn out of his contemplation not long after the fight ended when Hisoka entered the corridor where Harry was waiting for Gon. Harry tensed even as he crossed his arms and lazily leaned back against the wall to adopt an insolent pose.

Hisoka slowed to a stop in front of Harry and smiled predatorily at the teen as he stated, "I did not think I would find you hiding in the shadows like a frightened little mouse after you claimed to have sprouted wings the last time we crossed paths."

"I am neither hiding nor frightened; I am merely waiting for my friend," Harry countered in a bored tone.

"Such courage…" Hisoka murmured and Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in response to the hungry gleam that entered the older man's gaze. "I wonder… do you have courage enough to fight me, James?"

"Fight you…?" Harry repeated in surprise as he felt his heart rate jump through the roof in response to the creepy way Hisoka had spoken his alias; it was the first time the man had ever addressed him by name. "Why in the world would you think that I have any interest in fighting you?"

"Are you afraid to face me, little mouse?" Hisoka asked as he moved closer to Harry in order to loom over him.

"No," Harry replied without any hesitation as he did his best to ignore the uncomfortable closeness of the man. "I just have more important things to do than pander to you and your ego."

"I would have thought that you'd at least wish to get revenge for the trouncing that I gave Gon just now."

"Why in the world would I seek revenge on Gon's behalf?"

"Why wouldn't you? After all, you fought and humiliated Gido because he won against Gon two months ago."

Harry stared up at Hisoka for a full minute before he let out a snort that was part amusement and part disgust over the idea that he'd sought revenge just because Gon had lost the fight. He then pushed away from the wall as he noted that Gon was taking far too long. As he brushed passed the costumed redhead, Harry drawled, "The logic that you used to reach that conclusion is flawed. I would have still called him and his little cronies out even if Gon had won that first fight."

"If you didn't fight him to get revenge, then why did you fight him?" Hisoka demanded as a small frown flashed across his face in response to Harry's retort.

"Ah, but that's just it… I didn't fight him."

Harry flashed Hisoka a smirk when he saw the utter confusion on the man's face. He then turned his back on the man as he stepped out of the hallway to see what was keeping Gon. He found the thirteen year old having his injuries treated as he sat scowling on the edge of the ring. Sighing, Harry made a mental note to have Minky make a large batch of Gon's favorite donuts (the ones with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles) in order to cheer the kid up as he strolled across the brightly lit stadium floor.

When the two of them finally left the arena fifteen minutes later, Harry was inordinately pleased to find that Hisoka had not stuck around in order to accost him again.

* * *

**10-18-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	32. Ordinary x Wizarding x Levels

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Two: Ordinary x Wizarding x Levels

Harry reluctantly crawled out of bed at six o'clock the next morning, took a shower to wake himself up, and dressed in the clothes that Veena had set out for him some time after he'd gone to bed (the female elf bound and determined to mother him right alongside of her elflings). He then grabbed his old book bag (which he'd packed the night before with a couple of changes of clothes, several vials of Stone's Blood, a large bag of Stone's Teeth, and a large assortment of wizarding candies) and headed out of his bedroom. He was a bit surprised and concerned when he found Veena in the kitchen making him breakfast instead of Minky.

"Good morning, Veena; did something happen to Minky? Is she alright?"

"Minky's elflings is being born last night and Minky needs her rest, Master Harry," Veena replied as she placed Harry's breakfast on the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room.

"She did?" Harry asked excitedly as he slid onto one of the bar stools. "Is she alright? Are the babies alright? Were they all boys? Or did she have a little girl too? Where are they? Do you think she's mind if I peeked in to check on her and the babies?"

"Minky and her litter is fine. Minky just tired. Minky's litter is all little boys. Girly elves never have girly elves in first litter. Minky warned Veena that Master Harry would want to see Minky's elflings and if Master Harry is careful quiet and Master Harry don't wake Minky, Minky won't mind if Master Harry looks at Minky's babies. Master Harry not allowed to hold little ones until they is five days old. Newborn elflings too fragile for holding when they is first born."

"Right, look but don't touch; got it," Harry replied with a nod before he dug into his breakfast. "I suppose it is a good thing that I'll be gone for the next five days because otherwise I'd be sorely tempted to check in on Minky and her babies all of the time."

"I hope Master Harry won't get angry at Veena when Veena says that Master Harry is a strange wizard. Veena never before met a wizard that cares about elflings."

"You don't have to worry about me getting angry because you spoke your mind, Veena. And just for the record, I already know just how strange I am. As for why I find elflings so fascinating, it's because it brings me joy seeing new life being brought into the world after being surrounded by so much death all of my life. To me, there is nothing more precious than a newborn babe; no matter if it is a baby elf, a human child, a fluffy kitten, or a newly hatched bird."

Veena popped up next to Harry, hugged his leg, and sat both of her boys (whose eyes were now open) onto his lap before she popped back to the kitchen and began busily packing a basket of food for Harry to take with him. Harry felt a smile tugging at his lips as that had been the first time Veena had let him hold her sons without him needing to ask first. Of course, he knew part of it was because the two boys were now at the age where they weren't so dependent upon their mother for the magic they needed to survive.

Once he finished eating, Harry passed the two young elves back to their mother, snuck a quick peek into the cupboard above the stove where Minky had made her bed to see the new babies (all six of them no bigger than a chicken egg), and collected his book bag before he accepted the hamper of food from Veena. A quick check of the time to make certain he wasn't running behind schedule soon had him checking to make certain that he had both his wand and the portkey that would take him to the testing sight.

Ducking out of the tent, Harry found Gon and Killua seated in cross legged in front of his tent waiting for him while Canary was standing beside the door. Harry snorted and shook his head at the two boys even as a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth over the knowledge that the two of them had gotten up early just so that they could see him off.

"I still don't see why we can't go with you," Killua complained as he scowled at Harry.

"I told you, there are rules against bringing pets or guests to the testing facility," Harry repeated for the umpteenth time; a smirk tugging at his lips when he noted the glower Killua sent at him for the pet comment. "I'll be back on the ninth and you'll be wishing I'd stay away longer."

"Are you sure you're not just trying to ditch us?" Killua demanded as he narrowed his eyes.

"No, I'm not ditching you but a break from your whining will be nice."

"Jerk."

"Spoiled brat… you're just annoyed that I won't be here to provide you with free fresh donuts while I'm gone."

The two boys burst out laughing in response to that comment (it was true, after all) before they both rushed forward to hug Harry. The wizard let the grin he'd been holding back slid across his face as he ruffled the boys' hair.

"Good luck on your tests," Gon offered as the two of them let him go a minute later.

"Thanks, Gon."

Harry quickly checked the time again (noting he had just seven minutes before his portkey activated), readjusted his book bag, and grabbed the basket of food off of the floor before he crossed the room to where his girlfriend was waiting by the door. Once he reached Canary's side, he set the basket back down so he could give his girlfriend a hug and a kiss goodbye; earning a chorus of gagging groans from the youngest duo in the room. Harry flipped them the bird to show them what he thought of their childish antics and received a playful slap upside the head from his girlfriend in response.

"Do try and stay out of trouble, James," Canary ordered as she reluctantly extracted herself from Harry's arms just a few seconds later.

"I will. If something comes up or if you run into problems, send Flip or Flop to find me."

"Do you doubt my skills?"

"Absolutely not, my lady jay; I just know that everyone has their limits. There is also a chance that you will be required to return to Kukuroo Mountain and if that happens, I'd like to know before I return here and find everyone gone and automatically think the worst has happened."

"Good save," Canary remarked as a smile played about her lips.

"I was trained by the best," Harry quipped around a laugh before he stole one last kiss from her.

Goodbyes taken care of, Harry collected his basket of food and pulled the string of neon yellow yarn that was his portkey out of his pocket and wound it around the fingers of his left hand so that he wouldn't accidentally drop it. He then opened the door, stepped out into the hallway, and pulled the door shut behind him as the clock struck seven. He'd barely released the handle when he felt the portkey activate and he was pulled out of Heaven's Arena as the magic in the portkey hooked him through the navel. All too soon he landed in an undignified pile in the middle of a small room.

"Welcome to the South Pacific International Testing Facility," a woman greeted around a laugh. "Please place all of your bags on the testing platform beside the desk so they may be scanned for contraband items." Harry blushed bright red as he scrambled up onto his feet and hurried forward to place both the food hamper and his book bag onto the waist-high, rune inscribed, steel column that was situated beside the desk. "Thank you, sir. If you'll please deposit the used portkey in the collection bin on the left hand side of the testing platform and pass me your wand so that I can log you in now?"

Harry didn't hesitate to discard the portkey as directed but when it came time to handing over his wand; he hesitated for a brief moment. The woman didn't seem to notice the slight delay as she accepted his wand without even bothering to look at him. He then watched as she placed his wand in a grooved tray on her desk and ran what looked like a flat paddle over his focus. A series of numbers, symbols, and runes shimmered into existence on the device the moment she finished using it to scan the wand and she promptly pressed the paddle to a sheet of parchment; transferring the writing from the device to the paper.

The woman then returned his wand to him before sliding the parchment and an ink filled quill across the desk towards him as she instructed, "Please confirm that the information gathered by the Focus Scanner is correct; draw a line through those items that were incorrect, initial the items that are accurate, ignore those that you are uncertain about, and sign the parchment at the bottom once you are finished."

Harry pulled the parchment closer and skimmed through the brief list.

_Description: 11 inches, holly wood with a phoenix feather core, supple  
Power Rating: 2500 M  
Creator: Garrick Ollivander (Diagon Alley, London, England)  
Date Created: October 31, 1981  
Date 1__st__ Bonded: July 31, 1991  
Previous Owners: N/A  
Physical Condition: Fair (Usable)  
Magical Condition: Good (Stable)  
Remaining Lifespan under Current Ownership: 2 years_

Harry felt a thread of unease when he learned the date his wand had been made before he focused on the other information provided in order to not think about the fact that his wand had apparently been made on the same day that his parents had been killed. He then quickly initialed all of the lines but three (the wizard uncertain about the correct power rating of his wand, the date it was created, and the remaining lifespan); making certain to use his alias's initials. He then signed the bottom as James Evans and watched the parchment duplicate itself in triplicate.

"The yellow copy is yours to keep for your records, the pink copy is to be handed in to your O.W.L. Advisor (whom you will be meeting with shortly), and the green copy needs to be owled to the creator of the wand within thirty days of today's date," the witch explained as she collected the original and pushed the three colored copies closer to Harry.

She then leaned over and snagged a piece of parchment from somewhere behind the testing platform where his things were still sitting. The woman studied the parchment closely before she stamped a smiley face in green ink on the bottom of the parchment and signed and dated the parchment. Two more copies appeared the moment she lifted the stamp and passed both of them towards him.

"Again, the yellow copy is yours to keep and the pink copy is for your O.W.L. Advisor," the woman explained before she waved her hand at his things. "Both of your bags have been found clean; you may go ahead and collect them now. Once you have all of your belongings, please step through the door to my left."

"Er, thank you," Harry replied as he grabbed his things and made a beeline for the door, passing through what looked like a magical version of a metal detector (which Harry thankfully didn't set off as he walked through it).

As the door closed behind him, Harry heard another examinee arrive with a thump and a groan and he felt a little better knowing that he wasn't the only wizard that had trouble landing on his feet. As the door cut off the sound of the welcoming witch greeting the person who'd just arrived, Harry studied the hallway he'd stepped into. A sign posted directly opposite of the door he'd just exited indicated that those individuals sitting their N.E.W.T.s were to proceed to the left while those that were sitting their O.W.L.s were to head down the right hall.

Turning to the right, Harry began walking until he reached the end of the hall where he found a registration window manned by an ancient looking wizard with a bright red door right beside it and a line of five brown doors running along the right hand wall. Stepping up to the window, Harry cleared his throat to get the attention of the man on the other side.

"Name, age, and number of exams that you expect to be taking during your stay?" the man inquired in a reedy voice.

"James Evans, seventeen, and I'm scheduled to take nine O.W.L.s plus the tests for Apparation and Portkey Creation; so eleven tests total."

"Have you already completed the hours of instruction required for the two transportation tests or were you enrolled in the accelerated courses we provide on-site for those who are of age?"

"I was enrolled in the accelerated courses."

"Very good, Mr. Evans," the man wheezed as he pulled three thin books from a shelf behind them and set them on his side of the counter. Next, he collected an assortment of colored parchments from a series of cubby holes and placed them on top of the two books. He then dug out an oversized blue key from a box on the floor and set that on top of the parchments before he shoved the entire stack across the counter. "Here are the books for your transportation courses, the forms that you will need to fill out before lunch today, your personal copy of the facility's guidebook, and a key for your dorm. Your assigned O.W.L. Advisor is Professor Ingrid Wildsmith and she can be found through door number three."

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied as he collected the small stack and headed towards the door on the far left that was marked with the number three carved into it.

Immediately on the other side of the door, Harry found himself in a long corridor of doors. Sitting in a chair just to the right of the door was a middle aged witch with short brown hair and a stern expression on her face (the latter of which reminded Harry of Professor McGonagall). She immediately held out her hand without bothering to look up from the clipboard that she holding as she ordered, "Please hand me the pink copies of your Wand Analysis and Personal Property Assessment."

Harry juggled the pile of books and parchment he was carrying so he could grab the requested parchments before he handed both sheets to the woman. He then tucked everything else into his book bag in order to free up his hands in case he needed to grab something else while the woman (whom he assumed was his O.W.L. Advisor) perused the two papers.

"Very good, everything appears to be in order, Mr. Evans," the woman remarked after she attached both sheets to her clipboard as she rose from her chair and finally looked at him. "I am Professor Wildsmith and I will be your advisor for the duration of your stay here at the South Pacific International Testing Facility. You have until lunch to skim through the guidebook and fill out the forms that you were given. Once you have filled out the forms, you will need to bring them to me and I will give you your testing schedule for the next five days. Do you have any questions?"

"Just two; what time is it currently and what time is lunch?"

"It is currently nine-thirty and lunch is served at twelve sharp."

"Thank you, Professor Wildsmith."

"You're welcome, Mr. Evans. If you'll pass me your dorm key, I will assign you to a room and activate the runes."

Harry dug the key back out of his bag and handed it over to the professor. The witch then consulted her clipboard before she tapped the key three times with her wand, which caused the numbers three-zero-eight to appear on the top of the key in gold. She tapped the wand twice more after that and the entire shaft of the key turned silver. Professor Wildsmith then took a moment to inspect the key carefully before she passed it back to him.

"There you go, Mr. Evans. To unlock your door, press the key to the handle and hold it there for a count of five. To lock the door, tap the key against the door twice before holding the key to the lock for a count of ten. You will find a map of the facility pinned to the back of the door to help you navigate through the building."

Key in hand, Harry wandered down the hall looking for his assigned room. It didn't take him long to find the proper door and he pressed the key to the handle as instructed and counted to five. The moment he reached five, the door unlocked with a loud click and swung open to reveal a ten foot by ten foot room furnished with a narrow bed, a nightstand, a desk and chair, a fully stocked bookshelf, and a reading lamp. After taking in the room, Harry set his food hamper on the nightstand, dug out the books and forms he'd been given, hung his book bag over the back of the chair, and sat down to read through the guidebook that he'd been given.

Once he finished reading through the guidebook, he searched through the desk for a quill (all writing and study supplies provided by the facility in order to prevent students from bringing in cheats to help them during their exams) so that he could fill out the forms. It didn't take him long to finish filling in the forms and the moment he signed the final one, he gathered them all up along with his key and went in search of Professor Wildsmith so that he could turn them and collect his testing schedule. He spent several minutes going over his schedule with his O.W.L. Advisor in order to make certain that he understood when and where he needed to be for each exam and for his two accelerated courses.

At first glance, his exam scheduled appeared near impossible. Each of the written exams were scheduled to last for an hour and fifteen minutes, only ten minutes in between exams to allow the students to travel between lecture halls, and a total of three written exams scheduled for each morning. The practical exams were then scheduled two per afternoon with each exam lasting for an hour and forty-five minutes with another ten minutes to travel between the lab rooms and casting chambers.

Those individuals that were late to their scheduled exams would find themselves locked out of the lecture hall for the duration of that test. If a person missed more than two exams due to tardiness, they would be sent home and required to reschedule and retake all of their exams another time. The strict policy regarding tardiness was due to the temporal fields that the testing facility used to add enough time onto each day to administer one exam per subject each day. The reason they scheduled so many tests was to accommodate the large number of underage magicals that passed through the testing center.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was sprawled on his bed as he skimmed through the first five chapters of the Portkey Creation book that he'd been given in preparation for his first lesson which would take place right after lunch. He'd then have his first lesson on Apparation directly after supper. For lunch, he'd grab a still warm serving of shepherd's pie, an extra large slice of treacle tart, and a bottle of butterbeer from the basket that Veena packed for him. After he finished his food, Harry gathered up everything he thought he might need for his lesson and took a moment to study the map on the back of his door.

Harry then left his temporary dorm (making certain to lock the door behind him) before he trotted off down the corridor in the opposite direction from where he'd entered the dorms from the entrance hall. He soon came to an intersection and turned down the left hand corridor and continued on until he came to the door that was marked as Lecture Hall Eighty-Seven. Inside, he found a large classroom set up similar to a university lecture hall (with the chairs and desks tiered) and half a dozen other teens between the ages of sixteen and nineteen scattered throughout the room.

After taking note of where everyone was sitting, Harry made his way down to the very front of the classroom where he'd have an easier time reading the blackboard (if the instructor teaching the course used it) and hear the instructor's lecture clearly. Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, another two dozen individuals filtered into the room in groups of twos and threes and Harry alternated between skimming through the five chapters that he'd read earlier and studying the other teens. At exactly five minutes before one, a rather tall and slender man entered through one of the two doors at the front of the room and strode to the center of the floor.

"Good afternoon, I am Professor Narn and this is the accelerated course for Portkey Creation. If you were expecting to take the Ancient Runes theoretical exam this afternoon, you are in the wrong room; you are looking for Lecture Hall Seventy-Eight and that is down the hall to your left." Several embarrassed teens scrambled out of their seats and darted out the door. "I trust everyone else present is in the appropriate location for their scheduled afternoon? Good. Please tap the center of your desk with the tip of your wand and clearly speak your name in order to log your attendance for the duration of the class."

"If your desk flashed green; you may put away your wand. If your desk flashed red; you are either in the wrong place, have not actually been registered to take this course, or you did not speak clearly enough. Please double check your schedules to insure that you are actually supposed to be here before you try again. If your desk flashes red a second time, please stand up and I will come investigate the problem. If your desk flashes any color other than green or red, please gather your belongings and move to another desk and attempt to log your presence a second time."

Harry's desk glowed green for a split second the moment he spoke his alias and he immediately tucked his wand back into his pocket. Most of the other students had successfully logged their presence as well while a couple of teens present seemed to be having problems. It took another three minutes for Professor Narn to resolve the issues (the man even going to far as to kick a rather surly looking teen out of the room when it turned out the guy hadn't paid his registration fees). Once everyone was properly logged in, the professor returned to the floor and began lecturing them on the theory behind portkey travel, the dangers and risks involved in portkey creation and using a faulty portkey, and the international laws that apply to both portkey creation and travel.

It was twenty hours worth of lecture time crammed into a three and a half hour period and Harry's head was ringing by the end of the lesson. His hand was also cramping something fierce from the copious detailed notes he'd taken. The final half hour of class was spent memorizing the incantation and wand movements; both of which were rather simple when compared to the mental preparation that was involved in creating a viable (and therefore safe) portkey. When he returned to his dorm room in time for supper (which was delivered by one of the facility's house elves at exactly five o'clock), Harry was ready to curse Bill (magically, not verbally) and in need of a headache relieving potion.

He settled for a bar of Honeydukes' best, a warmed bottle of butterbeer, and an ice pack (for his head). He was half tempted to skip supper but the facility had strict rules about meal times and those that skipped meals were sent home as a precaution (the Wizarding Examination Authority had no wish to be hounded by angry parents because their child ended up fainting from a lack of food). So, the fifteen year old forced himself to consume the nutritious (if bland) meal that had been delivered to his room while he poured over the first chapter of the book he'd been given for the Apparation class.

The majority of the book was actually an extensive appendix of the international laws on Apparation travel. There was also a section dedicated to the national transport laws of the twenty countries that were consistently and statistically known to have the highest magical populations. Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, India, South Africa, Peru, and the United States of America each had a chapter as did Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Brazil, Egypt, and the Caribbean Isles. Harry was thankful that the book was his to keep since he knew there was no way he'd be able to memorize even a quarter of the various laws in a single week.

Unlike the Portkey Creation class, the first lesson on Apparation only lasted for a single hour; the first fifteen minutes of spent covering the theory and process and the last forty-five minutes of the lesson attempting to apparate in a controlled environment. Harry quickly learned that apparation was no where as easy as it looked or sounded and confirmed that his Flash Step ability was nothing at all like apparation (which left him wondering exactly what it was he did when he used the Flash Step). He was at least thankful that he didn't have the misfortune of splinching himself during the practical portion of the class unlike one of the older boys taking the class with him.

Once that lesson was over, Harry returned to his dorm in order to study for the three written O.W.L.s that he would be taking the next morning. When he finally crawled into bed at ten, Harry was mentally wrung out and utterly exhausted despite the fact that he really hadn't done anything but study all day long. Harry hauled himself out of bed at five o'clock the next morning in order to get in an hour of physical training before he grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the communal bathrooms in order to take a quick shower. He then returned to his room and dug out a couple pieces of fruit for a light breakfast before he spent another hour revising.

At seven-thirty he gathered up extra quills, parchment, and ink for the written exams before he headed to the lecture hall assigned for his first test. Once he stepped into the room, he was given a test packet, told to find his assigned seat, and instructed to log his presence (in much the same way he'd logged his presence for the Portkey Creation class). At exactly eight o'clock, the doors to the room were closed and locked and the temporal field was raised to alter the passage of time within the room so that for every hour that passed in real time, three hours would pass for those locked within the temporal field. The proctors for the exam would then spread themselves throughout the room before giving the students the signal to begin the test.

That first day, he took the written exams for History, Transfiguration, and Potions in the morning and the practical exams for Transfiguration and Potions in the afternoon. After supper, he'd spend two hours in lessons (one each for Portkey Creation and Apparation) before he returned to his room to study for the next set of exams. The second day saw him taking the written exams for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, and Astronomy in the morning and the practicals for Defense and Magical Creatures in the afternoon. His practical for Astronomy would then take place directly after his two hours of transportation lessons; leaving him no time to study for his final three exams.

The last day of his O.W.L. Testing covered the written exams for Charms, Herbology, and Muggle Studies in the morning and the practical exams for Charms and Herbology in the afternoon (Muggle Studies, like History, did not have a practical exam). He also attended his final lessons for both Apparation and Portkey Creation (both of which mainly involved practice, practice, and more practice after the first lessons on the day he arrived). His tests for Apparation and Portkey Creation were scheduled for first thing on the morning of the eighth and he had high hopes of passing both; the extensive wandless and wordless training he'd done over the past year allowed him far greater control over his magic than most wizards his age and that was despite the loss of control he'd experienced due to his aura nodes being opened.

After Harry finished his last lesson on the seventh, he approached Professor Wildsmith and asked her if she could arrange for him to meet with one of the members of the Wizarding Examination Authority that were present at the Testing Facility the following afternoon or evening. When the stern witch demanded to know why he needed to speak with a member of the W.E.A., the woman was less than pleased when Harry stated that it was a private matter between him and the W.E.A. Harry partially soothed her temper by assuring her that the matter he intended to bring to their attention had nothing to do with her performance as an advisor.

Harry spent the rest of the evening packing up his things and mentally reviewing all of the information that would be part of the written tests for his International Transport License and Emergency Travel Permit. The former would allow him to apparate in any country that was part of the International Confederation of Wizards while the latter would grant him the right to create emergency portkeys in those same countries. Technically, neither permit would allow him to travel between countries without the proper authorization or enter countries that have closed their borders to all non-native magicals but Harry's Hunter's License would allow him to do both without a fear of legal repercussions.

Despite how utterly exhausted he was from the three days of back to back exams, Harry had trouble falling asleep that night as he worried about what would happen to him the moment he revealed his birth name to the faceless member of the W.E.A. with whom he'd be meeting. He knew the only reason that he was doing so was because Bill had advised him to do so and he trusted Bill; after all the man had done for him, Harry had no doubt that Bill was one of the few magicals that Harry knew he could count on to have his back if things went south. Without Bill (and the goblins), Harry would probably have been back in Dumbledore's clutches within hours of his escape from Hogwarts. On the other hand, he was having a hard time even _thinking_ about trusting an adult that he didn't even know.

Eventually, Harry drifted off to sleep where his dreams was plagued with nightmares for the first time in two weeks.

The morning arrived far too quickly as far as Harry was concerned and he reluctantly hauled himself out of bed in order to get ready for the two tests that he'd be taking first thing that morning. For breakfast, he ate the final two slices of treacle tart that had brought with him along with a couple of Chocolate Frogs in the hopes that the extra sugar would carry him through the day. He couldn't help but wish he'd that he still had some Stone's Teeth and Stone's Blood left but he'd finished off the goblin energizing elixir and candies the previous afternoon; the goblin drink and treats the only reason why he'd survived the hellish exam schedule.

All too soon, it was time for him to make his way to Lecture Hall Eighty-Seven (the same lecture hall he'd gone to for his first Portkey Creation lesson) for the written portion of both transportation tests. The test for the Emergency Travel Permit covered the theory behind portkey creation, the hazards involved in using fault portkeys, and briefly touched on the universal laws governing the creation and use of portkeys. The test for the International Transport License was very similar in that it covered the theory behind apparation, the hazards of sloppy apparation (which covered splinching), and the international laws that applied to magical travel.

Harry felt confident that he'd done well enough on both exams to pass that portion of the tests and hoped that he did just as well on the practicals. During the hour break he had between the written tests and the practical tests, Harry scarfed down another two Chocolate Frogs, a Pumpkin Pasty, and three Cauldron Cakes and spent the rest of the time meditating in order to clear his mind and center his emotions. At the end of the hour, he headed towards the casting chamber that had been used for the practical portion of his accelerated courses on Apparation and Portkey Creation.

He took his apparation test first; demonstrating his ability to apparate between a series of painted circles that were spread about the room (each circle numbered to distinguish it from all of the other circles in the room) before he was required to apparate between two different rooms. He was graded on the accuracy of his landings, the amount of time it took him to travel between each circle, the amount of noise he created each time he apparated, and how much magic he wasted as he jumped around the room.

His portkey practical, on the other hand, required him to create a series of portkeys that would transport several live white mice to the circles that he'd apparated between; the goal being to deliver each mouse to the correct circle alive and whole. The last portkey he created would be used by himself and Professor Narn to travel between the rooms. He was then graded on target destination accuracy, the amount of discomfort experienced during transport, the length of time each portkey took to reach its destination, the height at which the portkey delivered its passengers to the destination, and the amount of magic he wasted creating each portkey.

The death of even a single mouse would see him failing the entire test.

Both tests were exhausting and if Harry hadn't been as powerful as he was (magically speaking), he never would have been able to take both tests in the same week, let alone the same afternoon. In fact, Harry had been the only wizard that had been signed up to take the accelerated courses for both Apparation and Portkey Creation and therefore the only teen present that took both tests. The fact that Harry was still standing at the end of his Emergency Travel Permit test had actually surprised Professor Narn since the man was one of the few instructors that were aware of Harry's enrollment in both transportation courses and knew that Harry had taken the apparation test first.

Harry was exceedingly happy when both tests were over and he returned to his assigned room to take a short nap before his scheduled meeting with a member of the Wizarding Examination Authority.

* * *

Harry accepted the packet containing two copies his O.W.L. scores, two newly issued International Transport Licenses, and two Emergency Travel Permits (one set for James Evans and the other for Harry James Potter) from Professor Wildsmith with pride after supper later that evening. It had been a difficult and exhausting five days but Harry couldn't say that the time hadn't been well spent seeing as how he'd passed all nine of the O.W.L. Exams he'd sat for (passing Muggle Studies and History by the skin of his teeth) and earned his International Transport License and Emergency Travel Permit.

The exam records for both of his identities had been sealed for security reasons with only his names and the total number of O.W.L.s he'd earned being available to the public. Anyone seeking to view his full records would need his (Harry's) permission to see his files and a magical oath not to share what they learned with anyone else. The official copies of his scores would be sent to Chairman Netero for safekeeping once Bill, Sirius, and Remus had had a chance to view them.

He'd also made it a point to provide two sworn statements that he would never allow anyone associated with Hogwarts, the British Ministry of Magic, or the Dark Lord Voldemort to view either of his records for any reason (one statement for each of his names). Those statements (signed with a blood quill and liberally spelled with all kinds of authentication charms and protection spells) would prevent someone (Dumbledore, Snape, Malfoy, and Fudge in particular) from falsely claiming to have his permission to view his records.

After saying goodbye to Professor Wildsmith, Harry double checked his temporary dorm for anything he might have missed while he was packing before he checked out. He then made his way to the departure room (which was right next to the arrival room where the portkey had dropped him five days earlier) and apparated into the living room of the house near Heaven's Arena that he'd purchased several weeks earlier. He immediately spent the next five minutes carefully examining his body to make certain that he'd hadn't left anything behind since this was his first time apparating across a distance greater than one hundred meters.

Once he'd confirmed that his body was in one piece, Harry glanced around the dusty house (it had remained unoccupied and untouched since the day Bodoro left). Uncomfortable with being surrounded by the messes (a byproduct of his unpleasant childhood), Harry drew his wand and prepared to start cleaning only to pause before he cast the first spell as it occurred to him that the dirty house would be an ideal project for one of his elves. Shortly after that, it dawned on him that Minky and Veena would soon be competing for work now that Minky had given birth to her litter and he knew enough about house elves now to know that he didn't want to get caught between two elves vying for work.

Coming to a decision, Harry tucked away his wand and called out, "Dobby!"

"Master Harry called for his Dobby," the green-eyed elf stated needlessly as he popped into the room two minutes later; his attention focused entirely on Harry.

"Yes, I need you to show my O.W.L. scores to Bill, Sirius, and Remus before you deliver both copies to Chairman Netero," Harry instructed as he opened the packet he'd been given, withdrew his licenses and permits, and tucked the letters he'd written to Bill, Sirius and Remus, and Chairman Netero inside before handing the envelope to Dobby.

"Dobby will take care of it right away," Dobby replied as he took the packet and disappeared without another word.

"One of these days I will get him to stick around long enough for me to say thank you or at least goodbye," Harry declared out loud as a fond grin curled one side of his mouth up. He then called upon the next elf he needed to speak with, "Veena."

Veena popped into the house with a louder crack several minutes later (the elf mother carrying both her sons with her) and glanced around at the dust covered furniture and other messes in the room with wide eyes while her ears vibrated (a clear indication that she was fighting the need to immediately start cleaning) before turning her attention to Harry.

"I see you noticed the rather poor state of my new house and I imagine that the gardens look just as terrible," Harry commented as he tried to hide his amusement over what he knew was an elf's instinctive reaction to disorder and filth; her eyes growing even wider as a maniacal gleam entered them over the knowledge that the house she was standing in belonged to Harry. "I know there isn't really enough work to occupy two elves in my tent now that Minky has had her elflings and that it won't take you much longer to finish cleaning and organizing all of my books, so I figured I'd let you take over the care of this house."

"Will Master Harry be taking Veena's elflings now that Veena is assigned a proper house to clean?" Veena asked a little nervously as she looked torn between excitement for being chosen to take care of the new house and fear over what would happen to her sons.

"No, they will both stay here with you until they are old enough to start demanding their own work," Harry assured the female elf; something that earned him a hug around the knee. "Was there anything else you wanted to ask me? Alright, if something comes up you can either ask me when I'm in my tent or you can ask Dobby if I am someplace where you can't be seen. If you need any money for supplies, you can go to Dobby."

Like Dobby, Veena disappeared the moment Harry had finished speaking and Harry shook his head over the antics of his elves. Harry then spent several minutes adding to the wards on the house to prevent non-magicals from noticing anything odd about the house and yard. Once he finished establishing the final ward, Harry left the house and made his way to Heaven's Arena on foot. By the time he reached the tower, Harry was once again felt his exhaustion and wished he'd just apparated straight into his tent.

The trip through the lift to the two hundred and fifth floor seemed to take forever and by the time the doors opened, Harry was half asleep on his feet. The trek down the hallway was just as long and when he reached the door to his shared room, he knocked on the door instead of bothering to dig out his key or use an unlocking charm. He then leaned against the door jam and closed his eyes while he waited for someone to answer the door. Between one heartbeat and the next, the fifteen year old wizard fell asleep leaning against the wall.

He would be found less than a minute later by an amused Canary.

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**10-18-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	33. The Day x the World x Stood Still

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Thirty-Three: The Day x the World x Stood Still

Harry slowly surfaced from the arms of Morpheus and he fought against waking for as long as he could; the teen far too comfortable and still feeling rather exhausted. Eventually, the pressure of a full bladder had him reluctantly opening his eyes. He was more than a little confused when the first thing he saw was the thick, dark ropes of his girlfriend's hair instead of the off-gray walls of his dorm at the testing facility or the pale green and oak paneled walls of his bedroom in the tent. He blinked a few times to make certain that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him but the view didn't change.

He then lifted his head enough to peer at his blurry surroundings enough to determine that he was once again lying on the large king sized bed of his, Gon's, and Killua's assigned room in Heaven's Arena. Dropping his head back on the pillow, Harry racked his brain for the memory of how he ended up in bed with Canary for a second time (the first time had been after his match with Riehlvelt) only to draw a blank. He knew that he'd made it back to the tower after receiving a copy of his O.W.L. scores from Professor Wildsmith as he vaguely recalled riding the lift up to his floor but everything after that was a blank.

His thought process ground to a halt when he felt the young lady that was using him as a pillow (only now realizing that his girlfriend was half laying on top of him) shift against him as she stretched languidly. His heart skipped several beats before it went into overdrive the moment he felt the smooth skin of Canary's leg slide against his bare leg beneath the sheet that was draped over them. Harry probably would have panicked at that point if not for the fact that he could see that both of them were still wearing their shirts and feel the fabric of his boxers against his skin.

Once the brief flash of panic passed (his mind had provided clips of Gotoh skinning him alive over learning that the two of them had been in bed together), Harry discovered that he quite liked waking up to the feel of his girlfriend pressed so closely against his side. He forgot all about his need to empty his bladder as he admired the way her milk chocolate skin contrasted with his golden tanned skin (which was no where near as dark as it had been when he first stepped off of the Kaijinmaru). His left hand developed a mind of its own as his fingers lightly ghosted across the skin of Canary's bare arm while his mind teased him with evocative fantasies.

A sleepy voice pierced through the haze that had filled his mind as the warm body draped over him asked, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Mm, very much so," Harry agreed as he opened eyes that he didn't remember closing and found himself getting caught up his girlfriend's dark gray eyes. "Of course, I probably would be enjoying it more if I could remember how I ended up in bed with such a beautiful blue jay."

"Are you implying that I'm so forgettable that you can't remember spending the night in my arms?"

"Er… no, I could never associate the word forgettable with you in my mind unless it was immediately preceded by the letters 'u' and 'n' because you are most assuredly _un_forgettable as far as I'm concerned. And I do believe that I would be most upset with myself if I did forget even a single second that I spent in your arms. Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact that I can remember nothing that happened after I exited the lift last night. At least I hope it was last night and not last week."

Canary laughed throatily, a clear indication that she'd only been teasing him, and Harry's stomach flipped as the sound of her laughter sent a thread of excitement through him and had his blood rushing south. At the same time, he prayed that she wouldn't shift against him again least she find out just how much he enjoyed having her half dressed nubile body draped over his.

"Yes, it was only just last night that I found you sleeping propped up against the wall outside of the door. You should be happy that I was the one that found you in such a vulnerable position and not Killua or you would have woken up to find yourself in a far more embarrassing situation."

"Ah, then you have my undying gratitude from sparing me the humiliation of suffering from one of Killua's pranks, my lady jay."

"Why did you fall asleep out in the hall like that?" Canary asked after she laughed at the way he'd shuddered in response to the thought of getting caught in one of Killua's pranks. "It was rather foolish of you to leave yourself in such a vulnerable position."

"I was completely exhausted and mentally wrung out from the hectic exam schedule that I was assigned," Harry replied with a wince over the sharp undertone in Canary's voice; she really disliked it when Harry acted stupid or took needless risks whether or not it was on purpose. "The journey back was also rather taxing and I probably should have grabbed a taxi instead of walking part of the way back to the tower but I'd been cooped up in the testing facility from the second I arrived and it felt good to be out under the stars again. I also would not have allowed myself to fall asleep if I'd sensed any threats nearby once I stepped out of the lift."

"How many tests did you sit for and what exactly was it that you were being tested on?"

"I had eleven written exams that ran for three hours a piece, seven practical exams that were each two hours long, and two more practical exams that lasted for forty-five minutes each but were far more demanding than all of my other exams put together. At the same time, I also spent eleven hours in lessons for the two accelerated courses I was signed up for so that I could earn a couple of travel permits that would allow me to travel freely in certain circles. And as for what I was being tested on, I'm afraid that I can't exactly tell you right now because it involves the abilities that I inherited from my parents."

"Did you even sleep at all while you were gone?" Canary demanded incredulously as she quickly calculated a rough estimate of the total time that Harry had spent taking his exams.

"I got at least six hours of sleep each night but I didn't sleep well the night before last because I'd been stressing about the meeting I had yesterday afternoon with the man in charge of the testing facility where I took the exams."

"Remind me again why I thought it was a good idea to date someone who was insane," Canary rhetorically demanded as she lifted herself up off of Harry's chest in order to stare down at him.

"It must have been my irresistible charm and dashing good looks," Harry quipped cheekily as the satisfied half-smile he'd inherited from his great-grandfather formed on his face.

"Well, it certainly wasn't for your prowess in bed, seeing as how you were pretty much dead to the world both times I slept beside you," Canary tossed back with a smirk.

"I think you just brutally murdered my ego," Harry deadpanned as Canary laughed again. He then smirked at her in return as he asked, "Unless, of course, that was your way of inviting me to show you just what I am capable of doing with a beautiful woman in bed."

"And if it was?" Canary brazenly challenged with a predatory gleam in her eye that made Harry's mouth go dry and drove the last of his blood supply south.

"Urgh, do the two of you have to be so annoying first thing in the morning?" Killua demanded from where he and Gon were camped out on the floor between the couches.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a right mood killer, my little stray?"

"Stop calling me that," Killua growled as he flung a pillow at Harry's head.

Harry froze the pillow in midair with a burst of wandless magic before it could hit him or Canary and promptly banished it back at Killua a split second later. The white haired pre-teen yelped indignantly when he was hit in the face with his own missile. Gon laughing at Killua's misfortune sparked a pillow fight between the two younger boys. Harry prevented the two boys from dragging him and Canary into the pillow war with a Nen-based ward that prevented flying missiles and warm bodies from passing through it. After spending several amusing minutes of watching Killua and Gon efforts to break through the ward, Harry was abruptly reminded of his full bladder as his repeated laughs placed additional pressure on his bladder.

"We'll have to finish our earlier discussion later when the little menaces aren't around because I have to answer nature's call and it'll take me a while to round up enough donuts to distract the brats long enough for us to have our discussion," Harry proclaimed to his girlfriend as he reluctantly sat up.

He then stole a quick kiss from Canary before he stood up and used the bed as a springboard to launch himself over Killua's head. He landed on his hands in front of his tent and rolled forwards through the door to avoid the flying pillow that Gon had aimed at him. Harry was still laughing as he ended up flat on his back between Flip and Flop's perches with both birds staring down at him like he'd lost his mind. The feathered pranksters soon lost their haughty demeanor as they dropped down to greet Harry with loud honking cries as they tugged on his hair and nipped at his extremities with their beaks.

The next individual to greet Harry was Minky and Harry automatically began to reach forward for the morning tummy inspection before he remembered that the female elf had already given birth to her elflings. Minky's tinkling laughter over his response drew a sheepish grin from the wizard. The grin turned into a soft smile of amazement as Minky turned her back to him so that he could see the eight tennis ball sized baby elves clinging to her back.

After receiving permission, Harry gently plucked one of the babes from his perch and cradled him carefully in his hand as he inspected the tiny body; mentally comparing the relatively newborn elf to Veena's older boys even as the little elfling snuggled deeper into his palm. He found Minky's little ones far more fascinating than Veena's two boys; if only because he'd been there during her pregnancy and he'd felt them kicking and shifting inside of her womb. There was also the fact that they responded to his presence with a familiarity right from the start while Veena's boys took a bit longer to start recognizing him.

Minky said it was because they recognized his magic through the bond they shared with him through Minky. So, they'd technically had two or three months to memorize his magical signature before he officially met them while Veena's two boys had met him two weeks after they'd been born. Either way, Harry thought it was fascinating that the elves could easily recognize and distinguish between the magical signatures of witches and wizards from the moment they were born without needing blood samples or fancy diagnostic spells.

Harry was then forced to cut his reunion with the elf and her babies short as his bladder sharply reminded him that it was full. Twenty minutes later, he was dressed in a fresh change of clothes and seated at the counter reading through the book of instructions for the animagus transformation while Minky happily fried donuts on the stove, whipped up glazes and icing in a dozen different bowls, and baked turnovers and pastries in the oven. The scent of warm sugar filling the tent was both relaxing and familiar to Harry and it helped to wash away the last lingering traces of stress leftover from the intense exam schedule and nerve wracking meeting with Professor François Bonaccord (the member of the W.E.A. that had met with Harry).

When Harry finally resurfaced from the tent (with a huge box of donuts and breakfast pastries in hand) an hour and a half after he'd escaped from the pillow fight, he found Gon and Killua watching television and Canary no where in sight (though the sound of running water coming from the bathroom led him to believe she was in the shower). It took all of five seconds for Gon to pick up the smell of warm sugar that clung to Harry from the hour he'd spent at the counter in the kitchen while Minky cooked. The brunette promptly elbowed Killua in the side and the two of them whipped around to stare at Harry a second later… or rather they stared at the box in Harry's hand as they drooled on themselves.

Harry felt a smirk form on his face as he shifted the box into one hand and bounced it up and down a few times to taunt the sugar deprived kids. Their reaction to his silent taunt was instantaneous as they leapt over the back of the couch with twin war cries. Harry then proceeded to play keep away with the pair until Canary stepped out of the bathroom. It had been a perfectly timed changeover that at first glance appeared completely unplanned but the truth of it was that Harry had purposefully held the donuts back until his girlfriend was finished so that the two boys would focus on the sweets and not on the two older teens as he and Canary discussed potentially taking their relationship to the next level.

It was an awkward conversation due to Harry's limited experience but it wasn't as painful as it could have been thanks to the emotional and social growth he'd experienced over the last year. In the end, their mutual attraction and growing friendship saw the couple both admitting to their desire to explore the physical side of their relationship. That didn't mean that they would be jumping into bed to practice the horizontal tango any time soon (Harry still had some leftover insecurities that he needed to deal with and Canary wasn't about to ignore her duty to protect Killua just to further her relationship). It did, however, mean that their hands would be more prone to wandering away from the established safe zones when they were alone.

The rest of the day was then spent relaxing and just hanging out; Harry still not one hundred percent recovered from his exams and the other three just enjoying his company (though Killua absolutely refused to admit that he'd missed Harry despite the fact that it was painfully obvious – and it wasn't just because he'd been having donut withdrawals no matter how much he claimed it was). Wing and Zushi would turn up around suppertime bearing Chinese takeout and pizza; the older Hunter had been sent by Chairman Netero to personally check on Harry's health (the old brick wall well aware of just how taxing the wizarding exams could be).

Monday would find Harry resuming his Nen training under Wing as the absentminded man put him through his paces and pushed him to his limits. All of the exercises that the man put him through were designed to help Harry gain better control over how much of his aura is drawn out when he uses Nen based attacks instead of structured spells. Those training sessions involved a lot of meditation techniques, experimental exercises, and good old fashioned repetitive practice. At the end of the day, Harry found himself just as exhausted as he'd been after a day of testing.

He didn't have any time to rest that night though as he and Gon were scheduled to be tested on their rock climbing and cliff diving skills now that they'd finally put in the required number of hours. They had a small written exam that tested their knowledge on climbing safety, basic equipment use, and the applicable laws regarding public and private climb sites before they were required to demonstrate their skills. Both of them passed with flying colors even if Harry was half asleep on his feet at the time (a timely ingested dose of Mulled Stone's Blood temporarily banishing his exhaustion for the duration of the exam).

The next seven days would pass in much the same fashion (minus the part where he earned himself another type of permit). At the end of those seven days, Wing tested Harry using water divination once more; this time submerging the thick crystal goblet he'd purchased for the test in a large tub of ice in the hopes of dampening the heat that Harry's aura generated when he used Nen to manipulate his magic. The ice didn't save the glass but it did help slow the process by which Harry destroyed the glasses enough that they could see all six different effects taking place where as before everything happened far too quickly to see.

Wing grudgingly admitted that he was not skilled enough in the use of Nen to do any more in the way of helping Harry to mitigate the control issues that he'd created when he'd opened Harry's aura nodes. There was also nothing he could do to reverse the magical enhancements that the free flow of magic had done to Harry's body as a result of opening those nodes (which were thankfully mostly positive in nature – something that wasn't always the case). Nor was it possible to close a person's aura nodes once they'd been opened.

Wing then informed Harry that he too had passed the secret Hunter's Exam and advised him to ask Chairman Netero for the name of another Hunter that could better help him with his training.

Harry celebrated the occasion by renting another boat and taking the entire group (including Wing and Zushi) out on the ocean for a planned week of sailing, fishing, and simply relaxing. Since they would all be gone for so long, Harry made the decision to pack up all of his things (including the tent) so that there wasn't any chance of something going missing while he was gone since there wouldn't be anyone to keep an eye on his things this time. His packing prompted the other three staying at Heaven's Arena with him to pack their things as well.

Once out on the open sea, the group would have around thirty-six hours to enjoy their vacation before reality came crashing down around Harry's ears as the brewing war back home and the problems he'd left behind sought him out with a vengeance.

At the time, Harry had just ducked into his tent (which he'd set up atop of the boat's small cabin) in order to grab lunch for everyone when he found himself face to face with a frantic Tanker wringing his ears. Harry had been more than a little surprised to see the elf since he'd not seen any of his elves outside of Dobby, Veena, Minky, and the elflings since he'd bonded the additional eight elves back in April. It didn't take him long to figure out that something bad happened since house elves only tended to physically harm themselves when something was wrong (unless ordered to punish themselves by their master – something that Harry would never do).

"Tanker, please stop hurting yourself and tell me what is wrong," Harry ordered gently as he crouched down in front of the frantic elf.

"Tanker only just learned of nasty plot to drag Master Harry back to England," Tanker obediently informed him as he hesitantly dropped his hands away from his bruised ears. "The bearded one made terrible traps to kill Master Harry's father dog and Master Harry's father dog's wolfy friend in order to make Master Harry show himself."

Harry felt his heart seize up in his chest as his breath caught in the back of his throat while a tide of numbness washed through him and his ears began to ring. One of the greatest fears that had haunted Harry from the day he'd fled Hogwarts was that Dumbledore, Voldemort, or the Ministry would attempt to use one of his friends to get to him and now that fear was coming true. That fear now paralyzed him for several precious minutes before righteous fury burnt through the terror and clarity returned to his mind as his eyes soon turned completely gold in his rage.

"Right; thank you for bringing me that information as quickly as you did, Tanker. Please return to your post and gather as much information about the traps for Sirius and Remus as you can," Harry calmly ordered as he struggled to maintain control of his emotions.

Tanker popped away with a loud crack a heartbeat later after acknowledging his new order and once he was gone, Harry commandingly called for Dobby. The eccentric elf appeared a moment later and actually flinched the moment he noticed just how angry Harry was at the moment. Taking a deep breath, Harry clamped down tighter on his emotions as he instructed, "Dobby, I need you to find Sirius and Remus and warn them that Dumbledore is sending them into a trap before you find Bill and tell him to meet me on the steps of Gringotts in one hour. If you can't find Sirius or Remus in the next fifteen minutes, go straight to Bill and give him the warning about the traps."

Dobby nodded once before he vanished to carry out his orders. Harry stared at the place where the elf had stood for a full minute before he addressed the young mother elf watching him with wide, frightened eyes from the kitchen, "Minky, please pack up all of my personal belongings that are scattered about the tent and the boat. Once you are finished, I want you to take your elflings and stay with Veena at my new house until I call for you."

Harry didn't wait for the elf to respond before he grabbed his dueling cloak from the back of the couch and shrugged it on as he ducked out of the tent and whistled shrilly for Flip and Flop (the two eagles currently off hunting). The sound had the added benefit of garnering the attention of his companions as they dropped what they were doing and hurried to see what was wrong. All five of his companions immediately picked up on his rage the moment they got a good look at him, though they had no idea what had set him off.

"I'm leaving to deal with an emergency back home. I do not know whether or not I will return. I'll drop the sails before I go and there should be more than enough fuel in the tank for you to get the boat back to the marina. I will be sure to contact all of you when the first opportunity arises but if you don't hear from me sometime in the next six weeks, then it is safe to assume that I've either been captured by my enemies or I am dead. Wing, please send word to Chairman Netero and tell him that Dumbledore has made his first move; I'd do it myself but I don't have time and lives are at stake."

"You're not leaving us behind," Gon stubbornly insisted the moment Harry swung about to address the younger Hunter next.

"I'm not heading out for a picnic play date, Gon," Harry hissed as his fury began slipping out of his control. "I am headed straight for what will soon be a war zone."

"All the more reason for you to have someone watch your back," Killua pointed out as he stubbornly set his jaw.

"I appreciate your desire to help but neither one of you are prepared to deal with what I will be facing and I can't afford to spend my time worrying about you getting caught by those I will be fighting against."

"If you don't take us with you now, we'll just follow behind you and then you never know who will catch us as we hunt for your trail," Killua threatened as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"Canary, can you please talk some sense into your mule-headed charge?" Harry requested with a growl as he turned to glance in his girlfriend's direction.

"You already knew they would insist on going with you; you told me so yourself on our first date," Canary dryly reminded him. "Master Zeno also warned me that there was a high probability that you would drag Master Killua and his friend off to fight a war when he made arrangements for me to stay. And I can hardly watch over Master Killua if you leave him behind while I go with you."

"You're not helping and I'm not taking you either," Harry deadpanned with an irritated glare.

"Are you inferring that I am too weak to fight at your side?" Canary asked dangerously.

"You know I'm bloody well not inferring anything, damn it," Harry snapped in frustration before he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in order to help bring his anger back under his control. "Look, the lot of you do not have a single clue as to what you would be getting yourselves into if you go with me and I really don't have time to ague with you; my godfather and honorary uncle's lives are in danger right now."

"Then stop trying to leave us behind, the sooner we get back to the marina the sooner we can catch a ride back to wherever it is you need to be," Gon stated as he and Killua shouldered their packs; the two younger boys had rapidly packed up their things while Harry was arguing with Canary.

"You can give a brief summary of what kind of trouble we can expect on the way there," Killua added smugly.

"May Merlin, Maeve, and Mungo give me the strength to persevere in the face of idiocy and insanity," Harry prayed under his breath as Flip and Flop finally dropped down out of the sky to land on his shoulders. He briefly scowled at the three individuals that were far too stubborn for his own good before he addressed his feathered companions. "Alright you two menaces, I need the two of you to fly to Gringotts as quickly as you can; I'll collect you as soon as I can. I'll warn Bill's supervisor to expect you since I'll get there before you."

He then turned around to duck back into the tent to find his pack sitting right beside the door and Minky no where in sight. He grabbed the pack, backed out of the tent, and promptly began dismantling the tent before strapping it onto the base of the pack-trunk. As he stood up and swung the pack-trunk onto his back, he caught sight of Canary stepping back out of the cabin with her back pack in hand. Scowling over his inability to persuade the trio from going with him back to England, Harry briefly contemplated stunning them and leaving them behind anyway before he winced over the reaction that that would garner him.

"Alright, listen up," Harry ordered in a no nonsense tone that had all five of his companions straightening up at the unexpected authority that laced his voice. "Since the three of you are insisting on going with me, here's the deal; once we arrive in London, you will do what I tell you to do, when I tell you to do it and you will do it without giving me any grief or I will ship you off to Kukuroo Mountain in a burlap sack without any hesitation or remorse. Disobeying me could well cost you your lives and I refuse to live with that on my conscience. Any of you have a problem with that?"

"No," Gon replied for all three of them.

"Good. Gon, due to your status as a Hunter; you are the only one that I am authorized to debrief on the situation that we will be entering since Wing is already aware of the matter," Harry stated as he carefully avoided looking at the other two who would be going with him. "What you are about to learn is classified information and repeating that information to anyone without proper authorization is a crime that could and would see you stripped of your Hunter's License."

"But what about Killua and Canary? Don't they need to know too?"

"They do but it is against the law for me, or anyone else, to reveal this information to them. It has nothing to do with how much I trust them," Harry explained as his anger cooled just enough for the whites of his eyes and his pupils to regain their natural color while his irises remained gold. "If I didn't trust them, then I would pull you aside to debrief you but I do trust them and I am confident that they will not make any blatant attempts to listen in on our conversation or confront either of us regarding the information we will be discussing."

There were three simultaneous snorts of amusement as Wing, Canary, and Killua immediately picked up on Harry's rather obvious message; he couldn't directly give them the information that he was about to share but he also wasn't going to go to any effort to stop them from eavesdropping. The idea lacked subtlety but in Harry's defense, his Slytherin side had been stunted by his sorting into the House of the Lions. Harry spared them a quick glance while Wing firmly shooed Zushi into the boat's cabin and instructed him to not eavesdrop before he focused entirely on Gon once more as he withdrew his wand and pulled the invisible sleeve he'd used to hide the focus from it and tucked the scrap of fabric into his pocket for the time being.

Harry then began speaking once more, "Due to the limited time we have right now, I'm only going to give you a brief summary for the moment. I am a wizard; meaning that I was born with the ability to use magic to manipulate the world around me. Magic is very similar to Nen in that a wizard's magic is his aura; only magic is made up of all six types of auras and therefore allows wizards to use all six types of Nen abilities to varying degrees."

"My mother and father were magicals as well (a witch and a wizard respectively) and all three of us belonged to a hidden society of magic users until my parents were murdered. I was temporarily cast out of that society for my supposed protection until I was old enough to be trained to use my magic," Harry continued before he lifted his wand up. "This is my wand. It is the focus I use to draw out my magic in order to cast spells. I also know how to use wandless magic, which is very similar to using Ren and Hatsu. The people that we will face once we arrive in London were all trained how to use a wand the moment they reached their eleventh birthday."

"There are literally thousands upon thousands of spells that have been created through the centuries since wizards first discovered the ability to enhance their magic by using a focus. All magical spells will fall into at least one of the same six categories that define a Nen user's aura type; enhancement, transmutation, conjuration, manipulation, emission, and specialization. I don't have time to teach you to recognize the many spells you will potentially face so I'm only going to give you one piece of advice; don't let any of the pretty colored lights hit you and if an enemy points his wand at you, get the bloody hell out of the way."

"There are three spells that you want to avoid at all costs. The first one is called the Stunning Spell, the incantation is Stupefy, the color of the spell is medium red, and it will knock you unconscious. The second spell is the Cruciatus Curse, the incantation is Crucio, the color of the spell is mustard yellow, and it will cause you unimaginable pain that is only slightly less painful than being electrocuted by a one million volt current. The final spell is the Killing Curse, the incantation is Avada Kedavra, the color of the spells is acid green, and if the spell touches you _any_where it will kill you instantly."

"There are other spells that are dangerous but those three pose the biggest risk because you will be unable to fight if you are unconscious, the Cruciatus Curse can cause permanent nerve damage or drive a person insane, and I don't think I need to explain why it would be bad to be hit with the Killing Curse. The last couple of warnings that I will give you are; trust no one that I do not personally introduce you to, do not accept _any_thing from _any_one I have not introduced you to, and do not wander off on your own. Do you have any questions? No? Good. We've wasted enough time and we need to leave now."

Explanation over (and all three of his determined travel companions reeling from the brief information dump), Harry used his wand to furl the sails and turned the boat around so that it was facing the general direction of the marina. Next, he summoned one of the ropes and cut off a two foot section to use as a portkey. He then took a moment to clear his mind and concentrate on his destination before he cast the spell to turn the rope into a portkey.

That done, Harry addressed the only adult onboard, "Wing, do you mind taking the boat back to the marina?"

"No, I don't mind."

"Thanks, I appreciate the help since I don't have time to take the boat back myself. You can keep what they return to you of the damage deposit for the inconvenience of me leaving you stranded out here."

"Was he telling the truth?" Killua demanded as he rounded on Wing at that point; the pale haired boy knowing that the absentminded Hunter would be the least likely person to help Harry prank the others.

"Yes; he told you the truth even if he left out a considerable amount of information. Chairman Netero is usually the one who briefs new Hunters on the existence of the magical societies when the need arises but because James is the only magical currently on staff with the Association, he is authorized to inform those Hunters that are unaware of the magical societies if he suspects that they will need to deal with any magicals. Occasionally, a Hunter will learn of the magical societies from a client but those cases are pretty rare due to the secrecy laws."

"If the three of you are still adamant about going with me now that you know what we'll be facing, then you need to grab hold of this rope now or I am going to leave without you," Harry interjected before anyone else could ask Wing for more information. All three of them were quick to grab hold of the rope he'd been holding out in their direction. "I guess that answers that question. Hold on tight and no matter what happens, don't let go until I tell you it is safe to do so or you might end up in the middle of the ocean instead of in London with the rest of us."

Harry tapped his wand to activate the portkey the moment everyone was holding onto the rope and the magic soon reached out and hooked each of them through the navel to pull them through time and space as it threw them halfway around the world.

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**10-18-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	34. The Day x the World x Wept

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter Thirty-Four: The Day x the World x Wept

The four of them landed in a pile at the base of the steps leading into Gringotts some fifteen or twenty minutes later (the travel time involved strictly due to the distance involved). Harry was the first one to regain his feet as he immediately spread out his senses to search for potential threats while offering the others a hand up.

The first thing he noticed was just how few people were moving through the streets. The second thing he noticed was that it was after twilight while it had been early afternoon when they left; that made Harry fear that he wouldn't have enough time to save both Sirius and Remus from the traps Dumbledore had set for them. His inspection of Diagon Alley was cut short as the sound of a door opening behind him pulled his attention to the bank in time to see Bill Weasley step outside. Harry took a moment to note how little the older wizard had changed in the past year before he shook away the trivial thought and bounded up the steps as his earlier rage rushed forward to consume him once more.

"Damn it all to hell, Bill; the bloody bearded bastard has gone too far," Harry cursed the moment that he reached the redhead's side. "I swear to Merlin, if anything has happened to Padfoot or Moony, then I'm going to make that bugbear buggering berk rue the day he dared to raise his hand against an Evans and a Potter if it is the last thing I do."

"James…?" Bill asked with a slight frown as he eyed the dueling cloak that Harry was wearing before he eyed the three individuals that had traveled with Harry as the trio made their way up the stairs now that they were no longer staring about the alley with wide eyes.

"I'm hurt, Bill; don't you recognize me?"

"I recognized the cloak but you look nothing like you did when I first tossed you onto the ship. I think you might have actually grown a centimeter or two while you were gone."

"Prat, I told you I'd grown taller and gained a couple of stones over this past year in more than one of my letters," Harry retorted with a slight pout as his anger faded into the background once more. He then grew serious as he asked, "Did Dobby tell you what was happening?"

"Yes," Bill replied as he too sobered up and led the small group into the bank where there was less of a chance that they'd be overheard by the wrong person. As they headed for one of the private conference rooms, the older man kept glancing back over his shoulder at Gon, Killua, and Canary. "Are you ever going to introduce me to your companions, James?"

"Yeah, but not until we've got a bit of privacy."

Ten minutes and a round of rushed introductions later, Harry was seated at a stone conference table as Bill filled him in on everything he'd learned since Dobby had first passed along Harry's warning.

"Right after Dobby first told me about the traps, I traveled by Floo to see if there was a chance they hadn't left yet but there was no one home at their place. According to the letter that I found sitting on their kitchen table, Dumbledore sent Sirius off to investigate rumors of a Harry Potter sighting somewhere in Northumberland while Remus was asked to spy on a pack of rogue werewolves that are supposedly holed up in the caves beneath the ruins of Tintagel Castle on the eighteenth."

"That was two days ago," Harry needlessly remarked as he frowned. "Tanker didn't find out about the plot against them until today though… or possibly last night. Did Dobby say whether or not he'd found either of them before he delivered my message to you?"

"Yes, he said something was preventing him from tracing their magical signatures; which means that Dumbledore either knows about your elves and hid them behind elf wards to prevent you from finding them or they hid themselves as part of their supposed missions so that their position wouldn't be compromised by the unexpected arrival of an elf. I know that was something that Sirius tended to do in order to prevent the psychotic elf he inherited from causing him problems on a mission after the crazy elf nearly got him killed one time."

"Damn, that's going to make finding him harder."

"Your best bet would be taking the Knight Bus to Hexham, Northumberland (which is where the sighting supposedly occurred) and then using your broom to search for him from the air with the help of your eagles. Remus is closer though and he'd probably know exactly where to find Sirius if you can reach him before he walks into whatever trap was set for him."

"True," Harry agreed with some reluctance as worry for his godfather warred with the fury he still felt. He opened his mouth to comment further when a goblin burst into the room unexpectedly and made the four teens jump.

"Regent Weasley, urgent news has just been received from our informant within the Ministry," the goblin declared as he ignored the teens. "An anonymous tip was delivered by Owl Post to the Auror Department at two o'clock this afternoon about Sirius Black being sighted in Northumberland tonight."

The blood drained from Harry's face as he immediately made the connection that Dumbledore had sold his godfather out to the Ministry. He then shoved himself to his feet and slapped his hand over his mouth as his stomach lurched when he instantly realized that the involvement of the Ministry would ultimately mean the involvement of dementors. The bile burning the back of his throat was soon forgotten as the fury that had been pulsing just beneath the surface of his thoughts consumed him completely. Every eye in the room snapped to him as his aura burst forth to dance wildly around him as his eyes went completely gold once more.

"Bill, I need you to take my friends to my house in Kent and start contacting everyone on our side. I'm going to go fetch my godfather before the dementors that the Ministry will have undoubtedly sent out to kiss him, find him."

Harry was gone in a flash of gold as soon as the last word left his mouth as he used his Flash Step to travel between the conference room and the small courtyard between the entrance to Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron (something that had actually shocked the one goblin present because he'd traveled right through the bank's wards without any trouble).

The moment that Harry appeared in the courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron, he brought up his wand and called for the Knight Bus. The hideous purple bus appeared with a loud bang two minutes later and Harry fished a galleon out of his mokeskin pouch and tossed the coin at the conductor the moment the door cranked open. The furious teen then pushed his way onto the bus to speak directly to Ernie (the visually impaired driver of the purple monstrosity).

"How soon can you get me to Hexham, Northumberland?" Harry demanded in a tone that was barely civil.

"Two hours if I leave now and so long as no one else calls for us to pick them up," Ernie answered more than a little nervously as he eyed the visible aura of gold flames that were still dancing about Harry and the sparking wand that was clutched tightly in Harry's right hand.

"If you can get me there in half the time, I will pay you another five galleons."

"I can try… but I can't make any promises… the bus can only go so fast even with magic and jumping between places requires a wand signature or the residue of the bus's signature to jump to," Ernie stuttered out as he shut the door, shifted gears, and jumped out of the courtyard with a loud bang as all of the beds that filled the three levels of the bus slammed backwards.

"Just get me there as fast as you can; it's a matter of life and death," Harry replied as he easily remained standing despite the rough start thanks to all of the training he'd done over the past year and the time spent on the Kaijinmaru.

The fifteen year old then sat down on the closest bed as the shifting furniture moved in his direction once more when the magical bus jumped a second time. Harry couldn't help but twitch nervously as he continuously checked the time while his fear for his godfather and his anger at Dumbledore ate away at his tenuous control. In the end, it would take an hour and a half for the bus to make its way from London to Northumberland and Harry hurried off of the bus the moment it screeched to a stop in the darkened shadows behind a church; passing the promised five galleons to the conductor as he stepped out of the door despite the extra half hour involved.

The Knight Bus disappeared in another loud crack before the door had even finished closing and Harry's hair and cloak whipped about him in the breeze that had been created by the displaced air left in the wake of the bus's passing. Harry stood there in the shadows behind the church for two long minutes as he desperately tried to think about what to do next now that he was finally there. It was the disappearance of the stars in the sky as a sudden summer storm rolled into the area coupled with the unnatural chill building in the air that forced Harry into action when he realized that time was running short as he recognized the early warning signs of an approaching dementor.

Drawing his Firebolt out of his mokeskin pouch, Harry quickly mounted the broom and kicked off of the ground while casting the disillusionment charm on himself at the same time. Once he was approximately two hundred yards above the church, he began casting each one of the small handful of locating charms that he'd taught himself the previous fall as the rain began to fall. He had to force himself not to give into despair when each one of his spells failed. He wasn't in the air for more than three minutes when he discovered that it wasn't just one or two dementors combing through the area; there were dozens of the soul sucking demons searching the city for his godfather.

Not all of the dementors were focused solely upon apprehending Sirius as several of them had been attracted to Harry's current position the moment they became aware of his presence; much as they had when he first encountered them in his third year. Harry cast the Patronus Charm and soon a large, silvery-gold stag was prancing through the air as it circled around him to protect him from the dementors. A familiar cry reached Harry's ears just seconds later and he angled his broom towards the origin of the sound as he plastered himself along the broom handle and pushed the broom to its maximum speed.

Prongs galloped and bounded along at his side as he rushed towards the largest gathering of dementors in the area and Harry prayed that he would make it in time to save their victim whom he was ninety-nine percent certain was his godfather. Letting out a battle cry of anger as the sound of his mother's screams filled his ears, Harry pulled up on his broom and cast another patronus to join Prongs in the sky and this time a silvery gold eagle flowed from his wand to help chase away the dementors. The two ethereal creatures caused the dementors to scatter without actually chasing them off and Harry let out a cry of denial as the macabre sight of his godfather wrapped up in the arms of a dementor like a terrifying parody of a lover's embrace was revealed.

The frozen tableau would be seared into Harry's mind for all eternity.

Disbelief filled Harry for all of two seconds before he was hit with a wall of guilt the moment the knowledge that he'd failed to save his father registered in his mind. Next to hit him, was the soul searing grief of knowing that his godfather was as good as dead because he'd not gotten there fast enough and he'd stupidly frozen up at a crucial moment. Both the guilt and the grief were nothing compared to the burning fury that filled him the instant that his eyes locked onto the form of the dementor that had just kissed his godfather.

That night, the stormy skies above all of Hexham would be washed with green and gold flames that seared everything they touched despite the heavy downpour mixed with ice that had driven most of the residents indoors. When the flames finally vanished some ten minutes later, the heavens rained down ice and ashes on the once peaceful village below. Soothsayers and prophets from around the world, both muggle and magical, would decry the sight of the very sky burning above Hexham (caught on camera and video by more than one person) as the beginning of the end of the world once word of the phenomenon spread.

And in a way, they would be right for that night the unbridled fury of an Evans had been awakened…

Harry's magic had swirled out of control as he unleashed that fury upon the dementors that were still circling around him while his two patronuses chased the dementor off of his godfather and cornered it against the nearest building. Harry unconsciously let go of his Firebolt and Stepped through the air as the searing gold flames of his aura turned a murderous green. Much like the unfortunate thugs that had attacked Canary during his fight with Sadaso, not a single dementor that had converged on Hexham that night would survive his rage. Harry's feet wouldn't touch the ground until he turned his attention to the dementor that had dared to devour Sirius's soul.

As he appeared in front of the pinned dementor, Harry tried to summon Sirius's soul in the hopes that he'd be able to put it back where it belonged. When that didn't work, that dementor would burn the same as its brethren after Harry grabbed hold of its cloak and stared into its empty eye sockets as the poisonous flames of his aura meticulously erased its existence from the world. All that would remain of the dementor to mark its passing was the pile of gritty ash that was soon swept away by the wind that was stirred up by Harry's uncontrolled magic.

Sadly, the precious soul that the monstrosity had swallowed did not make a miraculous reappearance the moment the dementor had been destroyed. Not even when Harry attempted to summon the soul with his wand a second time.

Numbness filled Harry as he turned away from the remains of the dementor and stumbled towards the crumpled figure lying just a few yards away. As he brokenly made his way to his godfather's side, the ethereal form of Prongs walked up to the unmoving wizard and nuzzled him. When the magical construct received no response from the man on the ground it lifted its head and looked right at Harry as it began crying frozen tears of silver.

Harry began having trouble breathing when he read the terrible truth in the stag's eyes as it faded out of existence without breaking eye contact with Harry. The unnamed eagle patronus arrived at the same time as Harry reached Sirius's side and the bird leveled accusing eyes at him before it launched itself at him and seemingly pierced his heart before it too vanished; the pain the glowing creature invoked beyond physical for it had been his own soul accusing him of failing his godfather.

Harry stared unseeingly at the discarded body of his godfather as tears poured down his face unheeded for several minutes before he silently summoned his abandoned Firebolt and returned the broom to his mokeskin pouch the moment it returned to his side. The grieving teen then tenderly collected his godfather's soulless body (doing his best not to think about how light… how empty… the lager man's body felt) before he began walking in the direction of the Hexham Abby. He'd barely gone half a dozen steps when he realized that he had no idea where to take his godfather. Nor did he know exactly where in Kent the house he'd inherited from his great-grandmother (on his mother's side) was located.

He thought about calling the Knight Bus again but quickly discarded that idea as he imagined how the conductor would react to his godfather's presence. Harry then contemplated portkeying back to Gringotts in order to get the coordinates for the Evans Estate only to realize there would be too many potential witnesses that would see his arrival which would inevitably mean that his godfather would be taken from him. The decision of where he was going to go and how he was going to get there was made for him when Dobby unexpectedly popped up beside him.

"Mr. Bill sent Dobby to help Master Harry find his father dog," Dobby stated as his large green eyes briefly held Harry's gold eyes before they inevitably noted the body cradled in Harry's arms. The elf began trembling as his eyes grew of wider as he continued to stare at Sirius's deathly pale complexion and the agonizingly slow and shallow rise and fall of the older wizard's chest. The elf then whispered a pained, "Dobby is too late."

"I was too late," Harry hoarsely corrected as he closed his eyes against the renewed grief and guilt. "Can you go back and ask Bill to make me a portkey to the house? I don't know where it is…"

"Dobby will take Master Harry and his godfather to the house," Dobby insisted instead as he stepped closer to grab hold of Harry's arm; the elf for once not making a pun of Sirius's animagus form.

Harry didn't have any time to think about what the elf meant or even wonder how the elf would go about transporting him from Northumberland to Kent before the world blurred around him and pressed in on him. The three of them reappeared in the middle of a modest but well appointed cottage just a few moments later with a loud crack. Harry didn't bother to examine his surroundings as he dropped heavily to his knees and struggled to hold onto his godfather's body in the momentary disorientation the elf mode of transportation caused.

The boneless way Sirius's body slid out of his arms to hit the floor broke something inside of Harry as time suddenly rolled back one year and he was again carrying Cedric Diggory's dead body back to Hogwarts. Curling forward over the body half draped over his lap, Harry fought the rapidly expanding knot of emotions that was struggling to burst out of him as he felt all of his failures weighing down on him. He let out a single broken sob before he lost the battle for control over his emotions and he let out a scream of grief that was laced with guilt, pain, and burning fury as he clutched at his godfather's unresponsive body while Dobby nervously wrung his hands together and hovered beside the teen.

"Harry!" Bill called out urgently the moment Harry's scream cut off and Harry reluctantly opened his eyes and lifted his head just enough to meet the other wizard's gaze as the redhead canceled the Disillusionment Charm that was obscuring Harry's body. The moment their eyes met, Bill asked, "What happened?"

"I didn't get there fast enough and I took too long to decide what to do once I got there," Harry hoarsely replied. "The dementors turned up before I even started looking for Sirius and there were so damn many of them… I chased them off with a pair of patronuses but it wasn't enough. They caught him first, Bill. It was just like the end of my third year all over again only this time there was no second me to fight them off and save the day. They kissed him, Bill. I failed and my godfather's as good as dead because I failed. I was right there and I didn't… I couldn't…"

"Harry, now is not the time for you to be falling apart; Remus is still out there heading for another trap," Bill sharply reminded Harry as the younger wizard began spiraling back down into the depths of despair. "You need stay focused and finish contacting the others while I try to catch up with him."

"They won't recognize me and it would take too long to explain myself," Harry countered as he slammed a door shut on his emotions and sat up fully. "I will go find Remus. You said he was sent to Tintagel Castle?"

"Yes, he was tasked to search the caves that riddle Tintagel Island beneath the ruins for evidence of werewolves living in the area," Bill answered after taking a full minute to assess Harry's current state of mind.

Harry nodded as he gently pulled his godfather's body off of the floor and readjusted his grip on the animagus's body before he rose to his feet and requested, "Please see to that Padfoot is made comfortable and that his body is taken care of so long as his body still lives." Bill nodded as he moved forward to take Sirius's body from Harry's arms. "Dobby, can you take me to Tintagel Castle the same way you brought us here?"

"Yes, Master Harry," Dobby agreed as he stepped forward to grab hold of Harry's hand this time.

"I will be back shortly and answer any questions you have then," Harry stated as he turned to glance at the trio that had followed him home; all three of them looking more than a little bewildered and out of their depth. Canary pulled herself together and scowled at him (for him leaving her behind again, no doubt) just seconds before the world blurred around him against as Dobby transported them across country once more where they ended up on Tintagel Island (which was really more of a peninsula) where the island was still partially connected to the mainland.

Harry stumbled a moment as he tried to shake off his disorientation before he drew his broom out once more as he addressed Dobby, "Dobby, please search all of the ruins for some sign of Remus in case he's up here somewhere while I start checking the caves."

"Right away, Master Harry," Dobby agreed as he popped away.

The teen kicked off a heartbeat later and dove down over the cliff on the northern side of the island in order to start his own search with one of the larger cave systems that littered the island. As the salty air rushed passed his face, Harry opened his senses to the night to search for the slightest trace of any magical signatures in the area (something he knew that he _should_ have done the _instant_ he stepped off the Knight Bus earlier… something that might have helped him to reach Sirius's side in time to stop the dementor that had stolen his godfather's soul).

Shoving that line of thinking out of his mind, least he mess up again and lose Remus too, Harry focused on his task as he began to once again cast one of the handful of locator and detection spells he knew. A burst of hope rose in Harry's chest as his spell immediately picked up recent traces of spell fire in the air lingering in the air around one of the larger the cave mouths; it made him believe that maybe, just maybe, he'd reached Remus in time. Diving down into the cave's entrance, Harry lifted his wand in order to light the tip (in order to make navigating the damp tunnels easier) when the thick, cloying scent of congealing blood slammed into him unexpectedly.

Pulling up sharply to stop his forward momentum, Harry doused his wand and cast the night vision spell on his eyes in order to scan the cave without making himself a target or tying up his wand with the Lumos Charm. What he found disturbed him greatly as there were liberal amounts of blood splashed across the floor of the cave and on the walls. Easing his broom forward, Harry followed the trail and his stomach began cramping as it twisted itself up into knots as he began to fear that once again he'd arrived too late. He'd only traveled roughly a dozen meters into the cave when the sounds of a scuffle reached his ears along with the growls of what sounded like dogs.

Switching his wand to his left hand, Harry reached up and unsheathed Gryffindor's Sword from the pack he still wore on his back. He then promptly switched the sword to his left hand while returning his wand to his right hand. Feeling slightly more prepared for whatever was up ahead, Harry nudged his broom forward using his just legs as he held the sword at the ready near his left thigh while his wand was pointed towards the commotion up ahead and his mind drew forth the incantations for the offensive spell chain that he thought would be most effect within the confines of the cave.

As he rounded the next bend in the tunnel, Harry came upon a group of five dogs harassing a gravely injured Remus. A closer look made him realize that the animals attacking his former professor weren't actually dogs but wolves; something that confused him since he knew that there were no wild wolves in England (they'd been hunted to extinction a few centuries earlier). Shaking away the distracting thoughts, Harry grabbed hold of the broom handle with his right hand, leaned low across the broom, and dove towards the fight as he whipped the tip of the sword in his hand forward to slice open the back of the wolf that had just latched onto Remus's wand arm and bit down hard enough to break bones.

The wolf was as good as dead the instant the blade pierced its skin; the venom imbued within the blade rapidly decaying the wolf's body when the creature let out a tortured howl as it released Remus's arm and began writhing on the cave floor as its body died around it. Harry shot back up out of reach as two of the wolves immediately turned to attack him in response to his sneak attack. Confusion filled Harry the moment he caught sight of the wolf he'd sliced open twisting and melting as it transformed from a wolf to a man even as it continued to break down.

"Stay back!" Remus weakly cried out in desperation as he pushed one of his attackers back with a weak Bludgeoning Hex. "They're not wild wolves, they're weres!"

"But there's no full moon tonight!" Harry pointed out in confusion even as he fired off a short spell chain at one of the wolves as the thing jumped up to snap at his feet hanging below the broom.

"They've taken some kind of experimental potion that forced their transformations out of the lunar cycle. Leave! There's nothing you can do for me without risking being bit!"

"No! I will not lose you too, Moony," Harry retorted as he dropped down to stab the paw of another wolf.

"Harry!?" Remus cried in horror as he took his eyes off of the two wolves still harassing him; leaving himself wide open to what would have been a fatal attack.

Harry let out a cry of fury as he saw the one wolf leap for Remus's exposed neck and he threw himself from his broom as he Flash Stepped through the distance separating him from his honorary uncle. He reappeared in a flash of gold right on top of the attacking wolf and promptly buried Gryffindor's sword into the monster's skull even as he spun around on and jumped off of the dead wolf's body in time to throw up a wandless shield that stopped the remaining two wolves in their tracks. The wizard then pulled on his aura and unleashed his Ren on the two final werewolves; the searing heat of the gold flames that were tinged with Avada Kedavra green setting the creatures on fire the moment it touched them.

When he finally cut off the attack all that remained of all five werewolves were five smoking piles of ash.

Threat eliminated, Harry spun back around to face Remus as he dropped Gryffindor's Sword, shrugged off his pack-trunk, and opened it up to the potions section in order to riffle through his supply of healing potions. The first thing he grabbed was a vial Blood Replenishing Potion that he quickly pulled the stopper from as he prepared to pour the potion down Remus's throat.

"What are you doing here, Harry? You were supposed to be safe."

"The bearded bastard set both you and Sirius up to die," Harry replied curtly as he attempted to feed Remus the potion. "I'll explain everything later; right now we have to get you patched up…"

"Don't waste your potions," Remus ordered weakly as he caught Harry's wrist. "I'm already dead; werewolf inflicted injuries are resistant to all healing magic and I've already lost far too much blood."

"Please let me help you, Moony," Harry begged as tears pooled in his eyes before they began cascading down his cheeks. "I can't loose you too… please…"

"What do you mean? What happened?" Remus demanded urgently as he watched Harry with concern; the older wizard had never seen Harry openly cry (not even during their patronus lessons when faced with the memory of the night his parents died).

"I tried to find Sirius first… Dumbledore sold him out to the Ministry, Moony. He's gone… I tried to save him but I wasn't fast enough. There were too many dementors and they found Padfoot first. I tried to chase them off but my patronuses weren't fast enough or strong enough and… and… they kissed him, Moony."

"That's not possible… he said had a plan…" Remus attempted to protest only for Harry to cut him off.

"I saw it happen! He's gone and it's my fault. So, please, let me help you. I couldn't bear it if I failed you too."

Remus's hand fell away from Harry's wrist in shock as he stared at Harry in disbelief and confusion. This time, when Harry went to pour the potion down his throat, the werewolf didn't resist and Harry felt a small measure of hope return as he grabbed a pain relieving potion and administered it to the man. He then grabbed a roll of gauze and set about bandaging Remus's many wounds in order to stop the bleeding. The man passed out long before Harry finished providing emergency first aide.

Harry was more than a little fearful of the fact that Remus had not said a single word to him before he passed out. In his mind, the lack of assurances that he wasn't to blame was proof that he was to blame for what happened to his godfather and that even Remus knew it was his fault that Sirius was as good as dead. He tried not to let that knowledge weigh him down as he fought to save Remus's life but that didn't stop the insidious thought from burrowing through his mind and eroding the confidence he'd gained during the past year.

He just finished casting the Bone Mending Spell on Remus's wand arm when Dobby popped up to inform him that he'd found Remus's camp. The poor elf was distraught to learn he'd been too slow to help Harry once again and Harry calmed the elf by telling him he'd done half the work by popping them to the ruins as quickly as he had. Harry further distracted the elf by asking him to pack up Remus's camp, retrieve his Firebolt, and remove all traces of Remus's blood and his fight with the werewolves from the caves to stop the muggles from launching an investigation.

Harry then turned his attention back to his honorary uncle and finished bandaging the recently healed arm (the gouges from the werewolf's teeth still bleeding even if the bones in the arm had been mended). Once that was done, Harry quickly packed up his left over supplies, put away the Founder's sword, tore a strip of fabric free from Remus's ruined robes, and used it to create a portkey to the house in Kent now that he could. The two of them were whisked away just seconds later. Their landing was fairly rough; most especially for Harry as he'd positioned his body to hit first so that he could cushion Remus's fall in order to not injure the man further given how seriously he'd been wounded by the werewolves.

Winded from the harsh landing, Harry just lay there beneath Remus's unconscious body for several minutes. By the time he'd regained his breath, Fred and George were there lifting the werewolf off of him before they carried the unconscious wizard off to another room. The knowledge that his honorary uncle was safe (and hopefully out of danger) had Harry letting out a sigh of relief that ended in a sob as his earlier guilt and grief slammed back into him with a vengeance. The renewed pain in his heart had him rolling onto his side and instinctively curling up in a ball before he let out a shrill cry of frustration and twisted around to slam his fist into the floor.

The sharp searing physical pain as several bones in his hand snapped immediately cut through the intangible pain that had been ripping at his very soul. He held onto that pain even as he was assaulted with the memory of seeing Sirius kissed by the dementor before it was overlaid by the memory of the one werewolf seeking to tear out Remus's throat. When the pain began to fade, Harry raised his broken hand with the intent to slam the injured limb down a second time in order to bring the pain back.

He needed that pain.

He needed to punish himself for his failures.

A hand wrapping around his wrist in an iron grip prevented him from doing further harm to himself and he canted his head to the side to find Bill kneeling beside him with a grim expression on his face. Bill's expression softened just a touch as he quietly stated, "I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now but causing yourself physical harm isn't going to solve anything."

"I know," Harry replied thickly as he closed his eyes. "I just… I keep seeing… and then Remus… he… Moony told me to leave him to die… Why the hell would he do that? Why did he give up? He wasn't even going to let me help him!"

"What happened?"

"I found him being attacked by five werewolves," Harry replied tiredly. "They'd obviously been fighting for quite some time before I found them… there was blood smeared all over the cave floor and walls. They had him cornered when I found them and at first I thought they were just stray dogs until I was close enough to see them clearly and then I just assumed they were wild wolves that escaped from one of the reservations."

"Werewolves…? The full moon is still two weeks off, how could they possibly be…?"

"Remus said they'd taken some sort of potion that allowed them to transform despite there being no full moon."

"You said there were five of them… and you're practically swimming in blood… did they bite you?"

"No, I killed three of them using my sword and destroyed all five bodies with a wandless attack that I learned a few months ago. Dobby stayed behind to clean away all traces of the fight and to pack up Remus's camp. And the blood isn't mine… it's all Moony's."

"You killed three werewolves with nothing but a sword?"

"They were considerably easier to kill than the basilisk I slew at the end of my second year. Besides, it's not like I had to put much effort into the kills; all it takes to kill is a little nick and the basilisk venom the blade absorbed does the rest of the work."

"You have a goblin forged blade," Bill gasped with no little shock.

"Yeah; I have Gryffindor's sword. I pulled it out of Sortilegus when Fawkes showed up with the Sorting Hat to help me fight the basilisk down in Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets."

"You do know that the goblins would kill to take that sword back, right?"

"Then why didn't your supervisor take it from me the day I showed up at the bank last year? It was right there with everything Fawkes and Sortilegus and sent with me to Gringotts at the end of my fourth year."

"I don't know."

"If they want it back that badly, I'll gladly hand it over _after_ I have dealt with Dumbledore, Snape, Voldemort, and the Death Eaters so long as they _swear_ that no goblin will ever raise the blade against wizards."

"I don't think any goblin would ever willingly swear such an oath," Bill quietly pointed out.

"Then I will never willingly give the blade to them… or anyone else. You've not seen what that sword is capable of doing after the blade had absorbed basilisk venom, basilisk blood, and my blood on top of whatever other magic it had come into contact with over the past thousand years, Bill. The magic already in the sword twisted the venom and if you get so much as a paper cut from it, you will die. There is no protection against the poison or venom or whatever it is and it will eat you alive from the inside out in a matter of seconds and you will not have enough time to even think about saving yourself."

Bill studied him for a moment he replied, "Maybe when you're feeling up to it, you can show me your memories of the times you've used the sword so that I can see for myself what the blade is capable of doing. It's not that I don't believe you but goblins don't really care for second hand accounts and if I'm to negotiate the ownership of the blade for you at some point, I'd at least like to have a solid grasp of the abilities it has absorbed."

"Okay."

"Thank you, for now, why don't we get you to Fleur so she can heal your hand and then you can go get yourself cleaned up and get some sleep."

"Where did you put…? Which room is…?" Harry asked as he ignored Bill's suggestions.

"They are both in the makeshift infirmary that Fleur set up in the parlor the moment she arrived."

Harry nodded and allowed Bill to help him up onto his feet before he followed the older man through the house to the parlor; the teen ignoring everything as his memories began crowding back into his mind now that there wasn't anything to distract him. The moment they stepped into the hastily set up infirmary, Harry's eyes sought out his godfather's body and his breath hitched at seeing the man so still and small… and so frail. The deathly pale pallor of his skin, the way his chest barely moved when the unoccupied body drew breath, and the lack of any other movement only emphasized the wrongness.

The fifteen year old never even noticed Fleur Delacour (one of his fellow champions from the Tri-Wizard Tournament and Bill's girlfriend of about seven months) take hold of his hand to heal the damage he'd caused himself when he'd punched the floor. He briefly noticed the lessening of pain in his hand but it was not enough to draw his eyes away from Sirius's living but not alive body. Fleur fussed over him a bit longer (casting several full body scans to search for other potential injuries) before she reluctantly let him go and Harry mechanically made his way to the side of the bed that Sirius was laying on.

He had to fight the sudden impulse he felt to shake his godfather until the man woke up; a small part of him still unable to accept that the man who'd been the closest thing to a father that he'd ever had was well and truly gone. Harry was far less successful in holding back the tears that began pouring down his face yet again. As he stood there staring down at his godfather's face, Harry couldn't help but recall the short, agitated note that the man had sent him shortly after Harry had been electrocuted by Riehlvelt.

_Damn it, Harry; you need to be more careful! I can't loose you too. I've half a mind to  
hunt you down just so I can watch over you and make certain you don't do anything else  
stupid._

Harry choked on a sob as he recalled how he'd felt when he first read that note. How he'd been glad that Remus had managed to distract Sirius enough to prevent the man from hunting him down like some over protective mother bear on the rampage. Now he desperately wished to Merlin that Sirius had found a way to slip away from the werewolf or better yet bullied Moony into his way of thinking. Maybe then his godfather would not have ended up as a soulless husk.

Burning hate slowly began eating away at the grief and guilt that he'd been drowning beneath since his godfather had been kissed. Mixed in with the utter loathing was the simmering rage that had not quite disappeared. Clenching his fists, Harry pulled his eyes from his soulless godfather to glance at his broken uncle; the werewolf still unconscious and still covered in blood stained bandages from head to toe.

He then turned back to his godfather's face as he hissed, "I might have been too slow to save you but you never would have been in danger in the first if it wasn't for Dumbledore. I swear upon the names of Merlin, Maeve, and Mungo and all that is unholy that those responsible for destroying the lives of my family will suffer in this life and the next as I damn their souls to the deepest levels of hell. And if I have to completely and utterly destroy the wizarding world and raze Hogwarts to the ground in the process, then I swear by the magic and blood of my forefathers, I will."

"Harry, what are you…?" Bill demanded in shock.

"_They_ declared war on _my_ family," Harry snapped as he whipped his head around to meet Bill's worried gaze with eyes that were once again completely gold and filled with pure fury. "I will give them the war they want and I _will_ make them regret _ever_ harming my family if it is the last thing I do."

* * *

**Translations:** Latin to English

Sortilegus – soothsayer (the name I gave to the Sorting Hat).

* * *

**10-18-15:** _Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes._


	35. Discussions x Introductions x and Spies

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five: Discussions x Introductions x and Spies

Harry had barely stepped out of the makeshift infirmary when he felt himself grabbed and slammed up against the wall by an extremely ticked off Canary as she pinned him in place with her baton and snapped, "You left me behind. Twice."

"No, if I had left you behind, then you wouldn't be here right now," Harry corrected as he ignored the way her baton was digging into his chest.

"You dumped us the moment we arrived and took off on your own twice," Canary bit out with a furious glare.

"No, I left you in the care of someone I trust while I attempted to save my godfather and uncle."

"You could have taken us with you…"

"No, I couldn't."

"Don't give me that; you brought us all the way here, you could have easily taken us with you again. We could have helped you fight!"

"No, you couldn't…"

Anger flashed in Canary's eyes as she brought her leg up to knee Harry in the stomach while she hissed out, "I am not weak."

"Bloody hell, Canary, I never said you were," Harry retorted around a grunt of pain.

"You just told me I couldn't fight."

"No I didn't, you cut me off before I could finish explaining why I couldn't take you with me. I had to leave you and both boys behind because I knew that I would not be able to protect the three of you and fight at the same time…"

"How is that not calling me weak?" Canary demanded as she pulled her baton back a couple of inches before snapping it forward against his chest a second time hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Damn it, woman; I'm trying to explain!" Harry bellowed as he reached up to grab hold of her skull basher in order to prevent her from hitting him with it again. "It has nothing to do with how strong you are and everything to do with the fact that I knew I would be facing demons that you could not defend yourself from!"

"How do you know? You didn't even give me a chance to face your enemies!"

"Because you lack the magic to see them, damn it! This isn't some joyride through the Underground to chase after petty thugs, thieves, and assassins, Canary. The creatures I faced tonight, they can't kill you. No, they do far worse. They feed off of the misery of their victims and devour their souls; the more horrifying your past, the more appetizing you are to them. My godfather is still alive but he's a good as dead because his body is nothing but an empty husk that will slowly die over the next few weeks."

Harry paused for a moment to let that sink in before he added, "I had no idea if there would be more dementors hunting for Moony or not and I was not about to risk yours or the boys' souls needlessly. You want to help me fight this Merlin be-damned war? Fine, but I'll be damned if I'm going to drag the three of you off before you can be properly prepared for the dangers that you can face!"

"And if there'd been other enemies present aside from the soul eating demons?"

"Do you remember the first time we sparred, when you told me that you would never tolerate a boy who thought you were weak?" Harry asked quietly as his gold eyes bore into Canary's frustrated gray eyes. "And do you remember what you told me on the night before I faced Gido, when you agreed to be my girlfriend? When you told me that you would not stay with a boyfriend who was weak?"

Canary's frowned in confusion over the seemingly off-topic questions as she replied, "I remember."

"Well, I'm telling you now, that I won't stay with a girl that thinks me so weak that I can't fight my own battles," Harry stated as he felt his stomach twist up into knots over the idea of breaking things off with Canary. "If you can't trust me enough to let me to deal with the dangers I was trained to face here in this world, then I need to know now so that I can send you back to Kukuroo Mountain because I can't afford to fight you each time you dislike the decisions I make when it comes to fighting this war."

"I know you're not weak," Canary quietly offered as she ceased applying pressure to the baton that was still pressed against Harry's chest. "I was frustrated because you left me behind without even bothering to give me an explanation as to why you weren't taking me and seeing you return covered in so much blood didn't help."

"In the future, so long as there is time for me to explain why I'm not taking you with me, then I will do so. If I can't give you that explanation before I leave, then I will provide you with one at the first available opportunity. Once you and the two brats have a better idea of the dangers we'll face above and beyond other witches and wizards, there will be fewer reasons for me not to take you with me."

"I think I can live with that."

"Good," Harry replied as the whites of his eyes and his pupils returned to their normal color as his anger faded back to a slow burn and his magic mostly withdrew to his core while the knots in his stomach eased. He then let go of her baton with one hand so he could gesture between the two of them as he asked, "Are we alright now?"

"Yes," Canary answered with a small smile.

Harry gave her an answering smile before he leaned forward to kiss her only for her to step back and halt his forward movement with the weighted end of her baton. The smile on his face morphed into a small frown of confusion as he tipped his head to one side and silently questioned her with his eyes.

"You need to clean yourself up before we kiss and make up," Canary dryly pointed out as she gestured to his blood soaked clothes.

"As my lady jay commands," Harry agreed with a slight grimace as the reminder of his current state of filth brought back the terrible memories of what had happened to Sirius and Remus.

Harry still wouldn't get to 'kiss and make up' with his girlfriend after a shower and a change of clothes as he'd been waylaid by Ron and Hermione; his two oldest friends demanding answers – though they didn't yet know who exactly it was they were demanding answers from since they had never been told that he was using an alias (for both their protection and his in the beginning).

Knowing that they wouldn't be the only ones seeking answers, Harry had told them to round up everyone that had already answered Bill's summons so that he could tell everyone all at once and introduce Canary, Gon, and Killua at the same time. The meeting would take place in the cottage's library; the second biggest room in the house (the biggest room had been the parlor, which had already been commandeered by Fleur for an infirmary).

Twenty-eight minutes later, Harry was standing up in front of the group of witches and wizards that believed in him enough (or possibly trusted Bill enough) to fight at his side. There were a total of fifty-three magicals that had been vetted personally by Bill.

There was no surprise that Charlie, the twins, Ginny, and Ron had been included in the group but he had been completely shocked by the inclusion of Percy and the distinct lack of Molly and Arthur. Also not surprising was the fact that the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team was present; including Oliver (who'd graduated at the end of his third year) and Lee (the ever popular announcer of all Quidditch games at Hogwarts). On the other hand, he was a bit surprised to see Viktor and four of his fellow graduates from Durmstrang and a trio of wizards and witches he recalled as being part of the Beauxbatons contingent from his fourth year.

In addition to Hermione, there were also another twelve of their year mates present; Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Seamus, and Neville from Gryffindor; Padma, Lisa, Su, and Terry from Ravenclaw; and Hannah, Susan, and Justin from Hufflepuff. On top of that, there were several individuals from other years present; such as Colin and Denis, a girl with long blonde hair, Roger (from Ravenclaw), Penelope (Percy's girlfriend), and five others that Harry didn't recognize.

Then there were another eleven adults that Harry didn't know; three of Charlie's friends/co-workers, a young woman with mousy brown hair and a heart-shaped face that was tear streaked, two of Bill's fellow curse breakers, an older woman he thought might be Augusta Longbottom (she was wearing a vulture on her hat), another older woman wearing a monocle, a tall black man, and two goblin warriors.

And he couldn't forget to count Bill and Fleur; the couple responsible for gathering the rest of the magicals that were present (though Hermione and Ron were most likely responsible for all of the Hogwarts age students present). He supposed he should count Remus as well (if the man survived the night), the trio of non-magicals that had tagged along with him (because all three would throw a fit if he didn't include them), and himself as well. All in all, he had far more people on his side than he'd expected (even if the number was one less than he truly wanted; the loss of his godfather cut deeply).

"First, I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming," Harry stated once everyone had found a seat and after he'd finished inspecting the faces of everyone present. "It means more to me than words could say that all of you are willing to stand beside me or my cousin and whether you are here because you believe in my cousin or you are here because you believe in a friend or family member doesn't change the fact that you are here of your own free will. That said, before I fill you in on exactly what is going on and why I asked Bill to gather everyone here, I'm going to need two things from all of you. The first thing I need from you is a sworn oath that you are not here in order to spy on me or anyone else present tonight for Voldemort, Dumbledore, or the Ministry…"

A cacophony of protests and angry cries of outrage met Harry's ears as everyone present surged to their feet except for the trio of non-magicals present and began yelling at Harry. He let them continue their vocal protestations for a full two minutes before he got fed up with the interruption and put a stop to it.

"_Sit down and shut up!_" Harry ordered coldly as he unleashed a burst of Ren that had all of the magicals in the room flinching back in shock as silence fell over the room once more. "I am sorry that my demand has offended your delicate sensibilities and pride but I'll be damned if I am going to take any risks. Our world is at war, damn it, and by Merlin's shorn beard I am not going to sacrifice any more lives by blindly trusting any one of you just because we are friends or because you are the family or friend of someone who I know. That's what got James and Lily Potter killed after they trusted Pettigrew to keep their location secret."

"Sirius Black was responsible…" the woman wearing the monocle began before Harry cut her off.

"That is a _lie_! My cousin's godfather was never his parent's Secret Keeper and if not for Fudge wearing his ass for a hat, then his godfather would have been cleared of all charges back at the end of his third year after the true betrayer and murderer was uncovered! Hell, if the bloody incompetent Ministry had actually bothered to give his godfather a bloody damned trial in the first place, he never would have spent twelve years in prison for a bloody crime he didn't commit! And if not for that same Merlin-be-damned Ministry and the closet dark lord, Dumbledore; his godfather would not have become a soulless husk earlier this evening and his honorary uncle wouldn't be hovering at death's door!"

"What happened to Sirius and Professor Lupin?" Ron inquired as the adults present squirmed uncomfortably in their seats in the wake of Harry's angry retort.

"Padfoot was kissed by one of the forty dementors that the Ministry set on him; Dumbledore had set him and Moony up to die in order to flush Harry out of hiding. I barely got to Tintagel Castle in time to save Moony from five rogue werewolves that had been under the influence of an experimental potion that allowed them to assume their werewolf forms outside of the moon's cycle. I don't even know if Remus is going to live through the night and Sirius is… he's as good as dead."

"Do you know what happened to the dementors?" the monocled woman demanded at the same time as Hermione asked, "How exactly are you related to Harry? It was my understanding that his only remaining relatives were muggles."

"I'm not answering any more questions until everyone present has sworn that they have no ulterior motives for being here," Harry firmly insisted as he tried to ignore the guilt he felt about hiding his identity from his friends for the moment; he could not risk revealing himself to everyone that was present. "If you are not willing to give me a sworn oath that you are not here under orders from Dumbledore, Voldemort, Fudge, or one of their lackeys, then I will be wiping your memory of the last two hours and kicking you out of my house. There will be no exceptions; no matter how much anyone here trusts you or how much Harry trusts you. I will not take a chance that there is a spy in our midst."

Everyone gave the required oath (bar the three non-magicals since they lacked the magic to swear an oath) and out of everyone present there were exactly three spies found; Percy had been a spy sent by Umbridge and Fudge, the Black man had been Dumbledore's spy, and one of the unfamiliar faces from the Hogwarts group (a contemporary of Oliver and Percy's year) had been Voldemort's spy. Harry was unsurprised, Bill was mortified (both for missing three spies and because his brother had been one of the spies), and the rest of those present were somewhere between shocked and grimly accepting that Harry's paranoia had been warranted after all.

Bill, the monocled woman, and one of the goblins would haul the three spies off to interrogate them and wipe their memories of everything they'd heard or seen since the moment they stepped into the house. While they were doing that, Harry made arrangements with an obviously pregnant Pinny and the adolescent Tilley (who were both currently working in the Kent house) to provide everyone with refreshments while they waited for the others to return; the interrogations expected to be finished fairly quickly thanks to the Veritaserum that Harry had had on hand.

An hour and eighteen minutes after the three spies had been uncovered, Harry once again found himself standing in front of fifty-some individuals. The only real difference, aside from the three absent faces, was the fact that everyone present was showing him quite a bit more respect than they had prior to the three spies being caught.

"Now that our security has been assured, I will start by introducing myself," Harry stated as he let his gaze wander over the gathered witches and wizards before he allowed his eyes to search out his girlfriend. "My name is James Evans. I will be turning eighteen tomorrow. I am Harry Potter's older cousin. And…"

"We've met Harry's cousin; his name is Dudley and he looks more like a baby whale," Fred and George corrected in stereo as they cut off Harry's introduction. "You don't look anything like a baby whale."

"That's funny; Harry and I always saw Dudley as more of a pig in a wig," Harry snorted with a slight shake of his head as he gave a brief thought to his cousin. "As for the validity of my claim, my father was the bastard son of Lily's father and until a year ago, I hadn't even known that Harry existed or that I was a wizard; though it certainly explained many things that had happened to me growing up. My father left my teenaged mother before I was born and she dumped me in an orphanage just as soon as I was born. I've spent the last year getting to know Harry after the goblins helped him escape Dumbledore's grasp in the wake of the Tri-Wizard Tournament fiasco that left Harry traumatized and one of the champions dead."

"Can you prove that you are who you say you are?" the monocled woman asked.

"Yes, Madam…?"

"Bones. Amelia Bones; former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Gringotts will vouch for the authenticity of Mr. Evans's claim," one of the goblins interjected before Harry could pull out any of his documents. "My direct supervisor was the goblin in charge of handling Mr. Evans's Inheritance Test."

"Thank you, Master Goblin," Harry acknowledged with a polite nod.

"If you've been in touch with Harry, do you know where he is now?" Ginny demanded from her seat between Hermione and one of the twins.

"He's currently sitting in our makeshift infirmary holding a vigil over the dying body of his godfather," Bill solemnly announced to Harry's complete surprise. "I'm going to ask all of you to give him space for the next couple of days and leave him to grieve in peace until he is ready to face you again; Harry is currently blaming himself for what happened to Sirius and he told me that he really didn't want any company at the moment."

"Will you answer my earlier question regarding the dementors now, Mr. Evans?" Madam Bones requested while most everyone else's attention was on the news that Harry was present. "I would also appreciate knowing what happened to the out-of-phase werewolves you mentioned."

"I destroyed every last dementor and I killed all five werewolves," Harry answered as he shoved down his surprise over Bill's claim that he was in the infirmary with his godfather.

"Dementors can not be destroyed by any magical means," the woman with the heart-shaped face insisted as she frowned at Harry.

"I didn't use magic to destroy them."

"Would you be willing to allow us to view your memory of both fights?" Madam Bones requested in a tone that made it sound more like she was ordering Harry to cooperate.

"We would be most interested in seeing those memories as well," the other goblin present stated on the heels of Madam Bones's request.

"We can discuss the matter after the meeting," Harry reluctantly agreed as he realized he'd need to offer them a measure of proof to support his claim; he just needed to make certain that the number of people allowed to view those memories were slightly restricted in order to protect himself. "For now, I would like to get this meeting back on track; starting with proper introductions since I am not familiar with most of your faces. I will start by finishing my introduction so that every one here is fully aware of exactly who I am."

Harry then fished his Hunter's license out of his mokeskin pouch, double checked to insure that he'd grabbed the card with his alias's name on it and not the one with his birth name, and held the plastic card up so that everyone could clearly see the logo on the card. A number of the older adults paled drastically the moment they recognized the logo on the card; including Madam Bones and Mrs. Longbottom.

"I see a few of you recognized my license; for those of you who did not, allow me to explain. This card is my Hunter's License. It was issued to me this past January by the Hunter's Association. And I am what is known as a Dark Wizard Hunter; meaning that it is my job to hunt down and capture or kill wizarding criminals that prey upon non-magicals."

For the second time that night, the room descended into pandemonium as those who were raised in the magical world flew into a panic upon learning that Harry was a Hunter. It was not an unexpected development; Bill had warned Harry that magicals feared Hunters. Harry had considered keeping his status as a Hunter secret from all but a select few but after giving the matter some thought, he'd realized it was best to be upfront with those fighting on his side from the start.

If only to prevent them from deserting him out of fear the moment they learned the truth.

Harry let them have another few minutes before he whistled sharply in order to grab their attention once more. As the room fell silent, Harry let his gaze slip over the pale faces of everyone present as he waited for their complete attention.

"I realize that those of you who were raised in magical households have been taught to fear Hunters; however, most of what you have been told about Hunters and the Hunter's Association is made up of heavy exaggerations and outright lies. We do not exist solely to hunt down and slaughter or destroy any and everything magical. There are some Hunters in the past that have killed witches and wizards but that was because we were hired to do so by our clients. As Chairman Netero once told me; not all Hunters are saints."

"That said, my job is really no different than an auror's or a policeman's job; I hunt criminals. The criminals I hunt just happen to be witches and wizards that have no regard for the lives, property, and laws of their non-magical cousins. I am not here to harm the general public. I am here to help my cousin deal with Voldemort, Dumbledore, and the corrupt and incompetent Fudge Administration and see justice administered. Once I have dealt with both terrorist factions and Fudge, then I will leave the clean up and restructuring of your government to magical Britain."

"Why are you lumping Dumbledore in the same group as You-Know-Who?" the young woman with the heart shaped asked as she frowned at Harry.

"Before I answer that, could you tell me who you are?"

"Tonks. Just Tonks. Sirius Black was my mother's cousin."

"Thank you, Tonks. To answer your question, Dumbledore is a closet Dark Lord; he has systematically destroyed Britain's magical educational and judicial systems using the power he's collected throughout his long life. He has also personally destroyed my family. I'm certain mine is not the only family he has destroyed either. The only difference between Dumbledore and Voldemort is that Voldemort openly declared his intentions while Dumbledore works from the shadows and presents a grandfatherly façade when he stands in the light."

"I don't just expect you to take my word for it though," Harry added as he tucked his hands in his pockets and swept his gaze over the room again. "Tell me, those of you here who lived through Voldemort's first rise; how many powerful 'light-sided' families were wiped out?"

"Dozens and most of those that were targeted were part of Dumbledore's vigilante group," Madam Longbottom answered in a heavy voice laden with old grief and lingering anger and frustration.

"And how many of powerful 'dark-sided' families were decimated?"

"A very small handful and those individuals were killed by Voldemort when they refused to join him," Madam Bones answered with a slight frown. "That still doesn't prove that Dumbledore is a dark wizard. All that proves is that You-Know-Who was ruthless."

"True, but you all witnessed how quickly, easily, and effectively I cleared the room of spies earlier, correct? Now, as I understand it, Dumbledore knew full well that there was a spy in the midst of the resistance; why did he not take the same actions that I took in order to flush that spy out? If that doesn't make you question his motives, how about this; Voldemort did not spring up from out of no where fully grown. He was born in Great Britain and educated at Hogwarts just like most everyone in this room."

"Dumbledore himself taught Voldemort when Voldemort was at Hogwarts; only at the time he was known by the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle. If you take his birth name and rearrange the letters, it spells out; I am Lord Voldemort. By Riddle's fifth year, he'd already committed his first murder; a murder that took place on school grounds. How many of those here that attended Hogwarts know who Moaning Myrtle is? Most of you, I see. Myrtle was Riddle's first murder victim. Of course, Hagrid was framed for her death by Riddle and expelled for a crime he didn't commit."

"Dumbledore knew Hagrid was innocent; otherwise, why would he vouch for him and arrange for Hagrid to be apprenticed to the groundskeeper at the time? Hagrid has been loyal to Dumbledore ever since because Dumbledore 'rescued' him. Yet Dumbledore made no move to clear his name. Dumbledore also knew that Sirius was innocent of the crimes for which he'd been accused of but again, he never made any effort to see Sirius's name cleared."

The same goblin that had vouched for Harry's identity stood up and cleared his throat before he added, "The Goblin Nation has evidence of dozens upon dozens of additional crimes for which Dumbledore is guilty of committing. One of which includes theft of those vaults that belonged to those wizarding families that were wiped out during the Dark Lord's first rise through the use of legal loopholes and forged or forced wills that suspiciously named Dumbledore or his Order of the Phoenix as the sole beneficiary."

"We've also collected a considerable wealth of disconcerting facts through our foreign connections," Bill continued as soon as the goblin retook his seat. "One of which is that Dumbledore was the close friend and lover of Gellert Grindelwald and the godfather of Griselda Grindelwald; both of which were confirmed by Grindelwald himself through a Veritaserum inquiry two months ago."

"Wait a moment… I thought Grindelwald was dead," Harry interjected with a frown.

"No, Grindelvald vas captured, tried before da International Confederation of Vizards, and vhen found guilty, he vas imprisoned for life in Nurmengard Prison," Viktor corrected for the benefit of those who had not previously been aware of the man's fate. "I personally attended da interrogation and heard first hand of his relationship vith Dumbledore."

"Huh, you learn something new every day. I wonder if that is why Dumbledore sought to wipe half of my family off of the face of the earth."

"What do you mean?" Hermione inquired curiously.

"My great-grandfather, Gregory Evans, personally killed Griselda Grindelwald and a number of other high profile targets during World War II or what the magicals call the Grindelwald Conflict."

"That is not true; it was the Gilded Juggernaut that killed Griselda," Madam Longbottom corrected with a shake of her head. "A man also known as…"

"Hunter Firebrand…?" Harry finished as he flashed the elderly witch a smile. "Hunter Firebrand was Gregory Evans and I have spoken with two different individuals that knew him; one was his best friend and the other an assassin who'd been hired to eliminate a number of high profile targets from Hitler and Grindelwald's side at the time. I have a single picture of my great-grandfather and my grandfather that was taken not long before Gellert killed him in retaliation for Griselda's death that I can show you later if you wish."

"I will hold you to that, young man."

Harry inclined his head in acknowledgement before he once again brought the meeting back on track, "Now that we've established that Dumbledore's reputation is not quite as stain free as he'd like you to believe, I'd like to finish the introductions so that everyone knows who everyone is before we get down to business. I will get the ball rolling by introducing my companions starting with my friend and fellow Hunter; Gon Freecss. Next is my friend; Killua Zoldyck. And last but certainly not least, is Killua's bodyguard and my lovely girlfriend; Canary."

"I will warn you now," Harry stated as his voice grew cold. "If I catch any of you threatening my friends due to their non-magical heritage; I will kick you out of my house so fast your head will spin. If I see anyone casting magic on them without their explicit permission and my knowledge, for any reason, I will make you regret it before I wipe your memory and kick you to the curb. I will not tolerate any prejudice in this house or in those I fight alongside. We are here to bring down three terrorist factions and I expect all of you to behave accordingly and treat each other with respect. That includes my house elves."

More than a few people squirmed beneath the intensity of Harry's gaze; a number of them uncomfortable with the presence of two Hunters. He was also certain that a few people had recognized Killua's last name as he'd seen a few people flinch at the mere mention of the famous family of assassins. And lastly, he'd noticed more than a few of the younger witches were pouting over the revelation that he was not available and Harry just barely stopped a shudder of his own from tracing down his spine at having to fend off fan-girls while trying to fight a war at the same time.

After a few minutes Harry broke the silence once more as he absently commented, "And I suppose everyone here should be made aware that my cousin took and passed the Hunter's Exam at the same time as Gon and I did this past January; meaning that Harry is a full fledged Dark Wizard Hunter just like me and our great-grandfather. That information is also not to leave this room."

That news had mixed reactions; some people seemed to grow more hopeful upon learning that he was a Hunter while others seemed to be dismayed. Harry took note of those that were unhappy with the news before he asked everyone to stand up and introduce themselves so that he could matches names to faces for those people he didn't know. Once all of the introductions had been made, the group would spend the next three hours sharing information, comparing notes, organizing their data, and making tentative plans.

At the end of those three hours, Harry dismissed the majority of the group before he spent another half an hour discussing his memories of fighting the dementors and the out of phase werewolves with Bill, Madam Bones, and the goblins. Harry agreed to share both memories in addition to agreeing to speak to 'Harry' on their behalf in order to view some of his earlier memories (such as his various encounters he'd had with Riddle/Voldemort and the confrontation in the Shrieking Shack). Harry then had a quick word with Bill to find out when and how 'Harry' had shown up in the temporary infirmary; that was how he learned the goblins had created a new golem to stand in for him to prevent anyone from seeing through his ruse shortly after he'd left the bank to rush after Sirius earlier.

Once he had finished his conversation with Bill, Harry collected Canary, Killua, and Gon and led them to the room he'd used to clean himself up earlier; the three of them would be bunking down with him so he could keep an eye on them and because the house was rather crowded. It wouldn't be that much different than the room they had shared at Heaven's Arena aside from the fact that it was a little smaller and lacked any technology whatsoever. Harry planned to set up his tent in any case since it offered extra privacy, a kitchen, and extra room.

He was also long used to living out of the portable flat.

Harry had barely ushered his girlfriend and younger friends into the room before Hermione, Neville, and the four youngest Weasleys turned up looking for answers. Knowing he owed his friends the truth, Harry allowed them inside before he raised several privacy wards to insure that no one else would overhear or interrupt them before he called on Pinny and asked her to provide refreshments and extra chairs.

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**AN: **_A little bit of angst, a bit of drama, and a dash of plot thrown in. This chapter was an utter pain to write. Not sure if I'm one hundred percent happy with it but it is at least finished. I'm also sorry to say that it will be the only chapter that is posted this weekend as the next chapter of this story is only half finished right now. I did at least do what I could to get this chapter finished and ready for posting so I had something to offer those of you who have been reading this story.  
_

_I have already replaced chapters 1-14 w/ updated &amp; edited chapters, though as usual, there were not any significant changes to the basic story, so there is no need for you to go back and re-read the entire thing. Chapters 15-28 will be updated tomorrow and then chapters 29-34 will be updated on Sunday. If, between now and Sunday, I actually manage to finish writing chapter 36, I will of course post it as well but don't count on it as it is being a right pain right now. _

_Anywho, the next story you can expect to see updated will be Have Fox, Will Travel (one of my HP/Naruto crossovers) and that will be updated next weekend with Dark x Wizard x Hunter (my other HP/HxH crossover) being updated the weekend after that. ~ Jenn_


	36. Revelations x and x Comfort

**Disclaimer:** _All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

**Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), angst, drama, and who knows what else. _

**AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Six: Revelations x and x Comfort

"Why did you tell Bill and Phlegm not to let anyone into the infirmary to see Harry?" Ginny demanded the moment everyone was comfortable. "He needs me… his friends to comfort him after what happened to his godfather."

"I'm sorry, Bill and who?" Harry asked as he frowned at the only female Weasley in the room.

"The French hussy," Ginny sniped in exasperation.

"First of all, Fleur is a friend of both myself and Harry and I would appreciate it if you refrained from insulting her while in my presence," Harry growled in return as he glared at her over the top of his glasses. "I meant what I said earlier about showing respect to everyone. If you have a problem with Fleur, that's your business, but I damned sure better not hear about you causing problems or insulting her. If you can't at least remain civil, then you aren't mature enough to stay and I will be having words with Bill to have you sent elsewhere. Am I clear?"

Ginny's face flushed bright red in embarrassment as she stiltedly nodded in compliance. Harry held her gaze for another minute to make certain she was sincere before he relaxed marginally and stated, "Good. Now to answer your original question, I was not the one that barred visitors from our infirmary. Fleur is a goblin trained healer and curse breaker and she's in charge of the infirmary. If she banned visitors from the infirmary, it's because Moony needs time to heal and Harry needs time to grieve for Pad… Padfoot."

Harry paused for a moment to bring his grief and guilt over his godfather's living death back under his control before he continued, "Harry will seek comfort when he is ready for comfort. I understand that you're all concerned about him and Harry will appreciate that you care enough to seek him out but he also needs you to give him time to come to terms with Sirius's loss. He will seek you out when he is ready for company."

Ginny huffed before she got up and stormed out of the room in frustration. Harry watched her go with an unreadable expression as he wondered just how much of a headache the redhead was going to cause him when she learned that her 'knight in shining armor' was not single and not interested in her. He'd long known the younger girl had a crush on him; kind of hard not to when her brothers teased her about said crush mercilessly and she grew tongue-tied and clumsy any time he so much as looked her way. He had never thought about her that way though and he doubted he ever would.

"I'd watch your back, Evans; my sister is likely to take her temper out on you because you didn't pull strings to get her into the infirmary to nurse and comfort her hero," Ron warned as the door swung shut with a loud thud.

"She'll only end up hexing herself in the foot if she tries," Harry replied around a snort. "I would not have allowed her to nurse and comfort me in any case; I never thought of Ginny that way and I seriously doubt I ever will. I always felt more than a little weird around her knowing that her crush was for the Boy-Who-Lived and not me as a person. On top of that, I have a girlfriend now."

"Huh-wha?" Ron unintelligently barked as all of the magicals snapped their heads around to stare at Harry in confusion in response to his reply.

"Really, Ron; you live in a dorm with me for four years and you can't even recognize your best mate? I mean, I know it's been a year since we last saw one another but I thought the five of you… and Ginny… would at least recognize me no matter how much I'd changed."

"Harry…?" Hermione gasped as her hands flew up to her mouth and stared at him for a full minute before she launched herself out of her chair and threw herself at Harry.

The sixteen year old witch then burst into tears just seconds later as she hugged him for all he was worth. Harry wrapped his arms around her in return and calmly met Canary's narrowed eyes as he mouthed a promise to explain in a moment and he relaxed as soon as Canary nodded acceptance. In the background, Fred and George were laughing their asses off as they immediately appreciated the 'prank' Harry had just played on the entire resistance by presenting himself as his own cousin. Ron and Neville were slightly bewildered by the sudden revelation but still amused.

After a few minutes, Hermione calmed down and pulled back so she could get a good look at him as she stated, "You've changed so much, Harry. I didn't even recognize you. The new glasses, the color of your hair, and whatever it was you did to change the color of your eyes makes you look so different. And you've grown and put on weight since last year. I can't believe you didn't warn us that you'd be hiding in plain site like that! Oh, Harry; are you okay? Sirius…"

"Is gone and there's nothing any one can do to bring him back," Harry interjected before she could say anything more. "I am angry, so very angry; at myself, at Dumbledore, and at the Ministry. He didn't deserve to be kissed. The memory of the dementor sucking out his soul will haunt me for the rest of my life because I know I could have saved him if I'd just been five seconds faster. I also know that Dumbledore set him up to die in order to hurt me. All the old codger managed to do was piss me the hell off though and I will make him _suffer_ before I send him to hell where he belongs."

"Don't… don't go after him for revenge," Hermione pleaded as she hugged him again.

"I'm not seeking revenge, Hermione; I'm hunting justice. I'm not going to fly off half cocked like I did in the past. I'm not the same foolhardy Gryffindor I was when I fled Hogwarts. I wasn't just playing pirates and ninjas while I was gone this past year; I grew up. Now, as much as I enjoy having a pretty girl on my lap; you're my sister in all but blood and it is rather weird for you to use my lap as a chair. Plus, my girlfriend and your boyfriend are both liable to get cranky if you stay where you are too much longer."

"Prat," Hermione huffed as she sat back and lightly slapped Harry on the arm. She then hugged him one last time as she murmured, "I really missed you this last year and I'm really glad that you are here now. I'm really sorry about Sirius… I know how much he meant to you but please, please don't blame yourself for what happened to him. We both know you tried your best to save him."

Harry softly thanked her for her concern (even if he didn't quite agree with her claim that he was blameless in regards to Sirius's condition) before he gently set her back on her feet so she could return to her original seat.

"How come you told everyone that you were your cousin instead of telling them the truth?" Neville asked the moment Hermione had retaken her seat. "And how is it that you can perform magic without getting in trouble? I mean, you're the same age as the rest of us."

"Actually, I'm emancipated and the underage restrictions no longer apply to me. The reason why I'm hiding in plain sight is to protect myself since only a small handful of people ever knew that I was emancipated last summer. It also protects my regent since I can play decoy for him now that I'm back. There's also the fact that few of the adults working with us would be as willing to work with me if they knew who I really was because of my age and all of the lies that the Ministry, Dumbledore, and Voldemort have spread about me."

"If you're here; who's in the infirmary? Or did Bill and Fleur only lock everyone out to keep people from finding out you aren't there?" Hermione asked next as she pulled out a quill, an ink jar, and a roll of parchment as she shifted into what Harry and Ron had always referred to as her 'research mode'.

"Actually, there's a golem, like the one that had played decoy for me last summer, playing the role of 'Harry'."

"I'm so proud, Gred," George exclaimed as he pretended to wipe away a tear.

"I know what you mean, Forge," Fred agreed as he placed a hand over his heart.

"Our brunette brother has truly grown up."

"I never thought he'd go on to surpass us when we let him fly away from the nest."

"Pranking an entire society… we taught him well," George continued as he pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose.

"I never thought he'd surpass his last prank; not even we ever caught Dumbledore in front of the entire school."

"Best…"

"…birthday…"

"…present…"

"…ever!"

"He wasn't the only one that I pranked that day," Harry absently announced with a smirk. "I simultaneously pantsed five hundred people at the same time and the entire results were caught on camera."

"How did you manage that?" both twins demanded in unison.

"Weak Sticking Charms applied to every single seat in the stadium."

"Cor!"

"Can we please get to the part where we get explanations?" Canary asked with a touch of impatience.

"Right," Harry agreed before Fred or George could make a comment about Canary not having a sense of humor and end up getting sent to the infirmary for their trouble. He then nodded at his girlfriend and his two newest friends as he stated, "I'll start with clarifying a few things for the three of you. I know that the rest already know the basics of what I'm about to cover, so please bear with me for now."

"First of all, in case it wasn't obvious, my real name is Harry James Potter and I'm actually only turning sixteen this July. My alias, James Evans is based off of my middle name and my mother's maiden name and he'll be eighteen tomorrow. My alias's background is based upon my real life but with a few obvious differences but I'm not going to go into details about my background history though as the key points in both of my identities are essentially the same; I'm an orphan, I'm a Hunter, my grandfather was Gregory Evans, and, like I told you before we left the boat, I'm a wizard."

"That said, it is imperative that all of you address me as James and the golem that looks like I did back at the end of fourth year as Harry. I'll show the three of you a couple of pictures me from back then so you'll know what to expect. Next, the rest of you need to be aware of a few things about my new friends and my girlfriend. First, just because Gon is younger than I am doesn't make him any less capable of a Hunter; he earned his license fair and square. Second, Killua may not be a Hunter but that was not because he isn't capable of defending himself. The same goes for Canary."

"On top of that, all four of us have been taught how to use our aura to enhance and protect our bodies and how to attack other with it…"

"I thought you said they were muggles…?" Ron demanded with a frown of confusion as he glanced at the three non-magicals in the room.

"They are."

"Then how can they…?" Hermione started to ask before words failed her.

"Every living thing has an aura; a person's aura isn't what makes them magical," Harry answered with a shrug. "What makes a person magical is the fact that their auras are a mesh of all six types while non-magicals are only born with one type."

"Can you give us a demonstration?" Neville requested as he glanced between Harry and the others.

"Yeah, just a sec. Killua, Canary; I'm going to call a friend, so please don't attack when she pops into the room. Minky!"

"Master Harry called for her Minky?" Minky inquired as she popped into the room with her elflings securely attached to her back.

"Yes, can you please set up my tent and fetch me the coffee table from the living room in addition to four crystal goblets, a pitcher of water, four leaves, a cake pan, and a tub of ice?"

"Right away, Master Harry!" Minky agreed before she set up his tent with a snap of her fingers and disappeared inside of it in order to collect the rest of the items he'd requested.

"What exactly was that?" Gon asked as he stared at the tent now sitting off to one side of the room; he'd obviously not been paying attention the other times when any of Harry's elves had been visible since they'd arrived in England.

"She's a house elf; she and the others like her that you might see running about the place can be considered my bonded servants but I consider them my friends. They have to be bound to a wizard or a magical building in order to survive because they feed off the magic supplied through the bond. In return for the magic they receive from their 'masters', they cook, clean, and keep their master's secrets. And despite the way it looks, it's not actually slavery."

"How many elves do you have now, Har… James?" Ron curiously asked without any sign of the jealousy that he might have displayed in the past.

"Far too many," Harry grumbled without any heat. "I've bonded with eight adults and two of the females both have elflings they are raising, there're eight between the two of them (all boys), and then Dobby's girlfriend is expecting to give birth to another ten."

"You have more than one female elf?" Neville asked with some surprise.

"Yeah, Dobby stole a total of four female elves from Hogwarts because they didn't have enough work or magic and because they didn't want their elflings to be taken from them. Thankfully, the youngest female isn't quite old enough to have elflings yet."

"Now that is a sneaky, underhanded prank; do you have any idea how much female elves are worth?" Fred demanded with a snort.

"Did you actually leave any females bound to Hogwarts?" George demanded a heartbeat after his twin.

"One or two, I think," Harry replied with a grin. "And it was actually Dobby that stole them from the school with the help of Sortilegus…"

"Sorta who…?" more than one voice asked in confusion.

"Sortilegus, the Sorting Hat."

"I thought Sorting Hat was the Sorting Hat's name," Ron commented with a slight frown.

"I thought so too but Sortilegus corrected me when he removed the bindings that Dumbledore had placed on me back at the end of fourth year."

"And the Hat helped you steal house elves from Hogwarts?" Fred and George asked in unison.

"Yeah, he freed the ones that wished to leave with old hats that past students had lost or abandoned when they left the school," Harry replied; much to the twins' amusement.

"What are you going to do with twenty-eight elves?" Hermione asked a little hesitantly while the twins clung to one another and laughed over the fact that the castle (the Sorting Hat long considered part of the castle itself) had helped prank Dumbledore by 'stealing' house elves out from under his nose.

"No clue, but each one of you can expect to be gifted with one or two once Minky's elflings are mature enough to be properly bonded and she is ready to let them go; providing she approves of you. Same goes for Pinny's litter because I know I'm not going to have anywhere near enough jobs for all of them."

"Minky would not mind her elflings being given to Master Harry's friends if Master Harry's friends are as kind and powerful as Master Harry," Minky announced as she appeared with everything he'd requested. "My elflings will thrive best in a family of their own where they will have lots of work."

"Well, there you go; that solves my problem of future jobs for at least five of the young elves," Harry quipped as he gave Minky a fond smile before she disappeared and the other magicals chuckled in response to his corniness. The green eyed Hunter than set the four cups on the table before he filled them with water and placed a single leaf in each so that he and his fellow Nen users could perform a water divination for his magical friends. Once he had finished that, Harry glanced up at the magicals and gestured to the glasses as he stated, "The easiest way to demonstrate our abilities is through water divination."

Ron snorted in amused disgust as he quipped, "And here I thought you hated all that Inner Eye crap that Trelawney always spouts."

"Wrong kind of divination, you prat; unless you want me to predict your next five deaths?" Harry retorted with an eye roll and a snort of amusement while Ron just smirked at him. "Before we start; do any of you know the diagnostic spell to test for a magical core?"

"I do," Neville replied with a touch of bitterness coloring his tone that caught Harry off-guard until he recalled the fact that a number of people (including more than one member of Neville's family) had thought the other boy had been born a squib.

"Would you be willing to cast it on my friends to prove that they are non-magicals?" Harry asked before he turned to face the three non-magicals in question. "Providing they agree to play lab-rats for our demonstration…? Oh, and the three of you can trust Hermione, Ron, and Neville; they're good peoples. As for Fred and George…? Eh, you can trust them to watch your back but don't eat or drink anything they offer to you; you're liable to end up growing feathers and chirping the national anthem out of your butt if you do."

"Oi!" the twins indignantly complained in unison while Ron and Neville both snickered and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oh, hush you two; you both know you can't be trusted with anything edible," Harry countered as he smirked at them.

"Well, he does have a point… though we haven't yet come up with a butt-chirping prank," George replied with a wicked grin.

"Thanks for the brilliant idea though," Fred added with an equally wicked grin.

"Great, you've gone and given them _another_ idea," Ron groused with feigned annoyance. "I thought we were friends?"

"We are; why do you think I always try to make certain that you know about it when I given them a new idea?" Harry shot back without missing a beat. "If I didn't like you, I'd leave you in the dark and then you'd never know what you were going to be hit with the next time they're looking to test their latest pranks. Besides, which would you prefer; me offering up the occasional idea to the pranking prats or leaving them to come up with ideas that are ten times as humiliating as those I suggest?"

"Is there actually a difference? Because, as far as I've been able to tell, they've taken your ideas and made them ten times more troublesome before they are satisfied with the final product," Neville dryly interjected as he climbed to his feet and drew his wand before he turned to the three non-magicals in the room. "Are the three of you willing to allow me to cast the spell that tests for the presence of a magical core on you?" All three non-magicals gave him permission and Neville promptly cast the spell on them one at a time before he confirmed, "None of them have magic."

"Thanks, Nev," Harry murmured with a nod towards his year mate. "Killua, since the changes you make to the water are the least obvious; why don't you go first?"

Killua silently moved up to kneel beside the first cup in the line. He then placed his hands on either side of the crystal goblet and began channeling his aura into the goblet through his hands using Ren. The five magicals leaned forward as one to stare expectantly at the cup and Harry smirked because he knew that they wouldn't see anything.

"Done," Killua announced a heartbeat later as he dropped his hands away from the goblet.

"It doesn't look any different," Ron stated as he frowned at the cup.

"That's because he didn't make any visual changes to the water but if you taste it, you'll be able to taste the changes he made to the water."

The twins were the only ones that automatically complied with Harry's suggestion and the two identical teens reached forward in tandem to dip their fingers in the water before placing the same finger in their mouth a moment later and immediately declared in unison, "The water tastes like honey!"

That prompted the other three to test the water but only Hermione went so far as to test the water from the other three waiting goblets.

"It does taste like honey," Ron exclaimed in surprise. "How did he do that?"

"Killua is what is known as a Transmuter; which means that his aura type is transmutation," Harry replied as he gestured at the goblet Killua used. "Exposing the water to his aura alters the taste of the water without changing any of its other properties. If it helps, you can think of transmutation as being another name for transfiguration; since a Transmuter has the ability to transform their aura in order to make it mimic the appearance of something else. My Lady Jay, would you like to go next?"

Canary arched an eyebrow at him in response to the semi-public use of the nickname he'd given her before she moved to crouch in front of one of the untouched glasses of water. Within seconds of her placing her hands to either side of the goblet, the leaf sitting on top of the water began zooming around the surface of the water like a motorboat. There were several exclamations of surprise from the magicals present and Harry smirked a bit as he watched his girlfriend show off by having the leaf speed up, slow down, and move in different patterns.

"Wow, that's pretty neat," Hermione gushed once Canary dropped her hands away from the glass. "What kind of an aura does that mean you have?"

"Manipulation," Canary answered as she returned to her seat. "I can use my aura to manipulate objects or people. My specialty is manipulating a person's perception of me or of my weapons during a fight; making them believe that I'm moving slower than I truly am or that my attack is headed slightly off center of my actual target."

"The comparable branch of magic would be Charms; Manipulators can levitate objects, make them dance or attack, and trick or force people to follow their orders; much like the spells we were taught," Harry added as he picked up one of the two unused goblets and set it in the cake pan before he gestured to Gon to go next.

The younger boy eagerly complied and almost as soon as he wrapped his hands up using Ren, the water in the glass swelled up and began rapidly pouring over the sides of the glass. Thankfully, Gon stopped before the water spilled over the side of the pan since it would have made a mess all over the table and floor otherwise. The magicals watching were all suitably impressed with the very obvious demonstration; much like they had been with Canary's divination results.

"Gon is classed as an Enhancer; meaning that his aura enhances or adds to what is already there (such as increasing the volume of water or enhancing a person's physical strength) and the comparable branch of magic would fall somewhere between transfiguration and charms but leans more towards the enchantment side of things," Harry promptly explained without waiting for one of the magicals to ask for clarification on Gon's demonstration.

The green and gold eyed teen then grabbed the tub of ice he'd asked for and dug a hole in the center of the frozen chunks that was large enough for him to set the final cup of water inside. He then buried his hands in the ice several inches away from the cup as he announced, "You may want to stand up and move closer to watch what happens when a wizard uses Nen as opposed to spells."

Once everyone was hovering around him, Harry channeled the smallest thread of Ren he could use to date. As soon as his Ren came into contact with the ice and the cup, the ice began evaporating instead of merely melting while the leaf, water, and cup slowly transformed into the usual crystal paperweight.

"What exactly does that result mean?" Neville inquired the moment Harry cut the flow of Ren and withdrew his hands from the much lower pile of ice.

"Technically? It means I'm a wizard because what you just witnessed was all six potential outcomes happening at the same time; my aura created crystals in the water, changed the taste of the water to sugar, turned the color of the water to amber, moved the leaf, increased the volume of water, and changed the consistency of the water to sap. It also means that my aura is perfectly balanced due to the fact that the changes all occurred at the same rate. Any wizard who is taught to use Nen would produce similar results; though the results would differ slightly based on the alignment of their aura."

"As far as my Nen classification goes though, I'd be considered a Specialist because the results of my divination don't fall into a definitive category since they're spread out over all of the categories. That's what sets magicals apart from non-magicals; a non-magical's aura falls into one specific category while a magical falls into all six. I also don't know if there're any exceptions to rule since I only learned about all of this a few months ago."

"Why did the ice evaporate instead of melt like the cup? And what was it that caused the glass to melt?" Hermione asked as she reached out to pick up the flower-like mess that Harry's divination had created.

"The blending of the six types of aura in existence makes a wizard's (or witch's) aura six times hotter than the aura of a non-magical due to the sheer amount of energy that is compressed to form their magic. Our aura is also far denser than a non-magicals and much harder to draw out and control as a result. The density of our magic is also why wandless magic is difficult to perform. Using a focus, like our wands, actually creates a bridge between our magic and the magic of the focus's core; allows us to tap directly into our magic without needing to draw our aura out."

"Wandless magic, on the other hand, requires a magical to draw their magic from their cores using their blood as a focus before they then push their magic out of their body through points called aura nodes in order to 'cast' a wandless spell. Wandless magic is actually just an advanced form of Nen. So were the outbursts of accidental magic that we all did when we were younger. Because of how dense our magic is though, it's difficult to control how much magic we pull from our core that way and even harder to control what the magic does once it leaves our body."

"Is that why accidental magic was always so tiring?" Hermione inquired with a slight frown.

"Yep. Wandless spell casting is just as tiring; especially when you're first learning it."

"The only way you'd know that is if you'd started teaching yourself how to cast wandlessly," Hermione shrewdly deduced as she eyed Harry with narrowed eyes.

Harry just smirked at her as he wordlessly and wandlessly summoned the crystal paperweight from her hands before he set it to spinning through the air with a modified levitation charm. He then turned the twins' hair purple, Ron's face green, Neville's shirt pink, and Hermione's fingernails neon blue without dropping the crystal remains of his water glass.

"Are you going to teach us how to do that?" Ron half demanded around a laugh as he stared at Fred and George's vibrant hair.

"I already did," Harry countered as he snagged the crystal out of the air and dropped it on the table. "Or, rather, I already started teaching you the basics. All those tips I sent the lot of you on silent spell casting and meditation are all things you need to know in order to move onto wandless spell casting."

"Can you teach us how to use Nen too?" Neville asked as he stared at the water glasses on the table.

"I don't know if I can," Harry answered with a slight frown as he recalled the mistake that Wing had made when he'd opened Harry's aura nodes. "There's a very specific way that magicals are supposed to be taught how to use Nen and the man who taught me made a mistake; so I didn't learn how to use Nen the correct way. And before you demand that I teach you the way I was taught, you should know that the side effects can be crippling. I got lucky; most of the side effects I have to deal with are beneficial but it could have been much worse."

"What kind of side effects?" Hermione asked as she frowned at Harry in concern.

"My eyes, for one. I now have permanent threads of magic living in my eyes and it lets me see a person's aura. I know it sounds like a neat trick and it makes it easier for me to tell magicals from non-magicals and pick out Nen users from amongst the non-magicals but it also gives me a headache at times because I can't turn that ability off. It also made my eyes super sensitive to changes in light and if I move from a dark room to a brightly lit room, I'll be blinded for a short period of time while my eyes adjust to the change in lighting."

"Worse than that though, was the near complete loss of control I experienced as a result of the method used to teach me Nen. It was worse than what I experienced right after Sortilegus removed all of the bindings that Dumbledore had placed on me. It would have been even worse if I hadn't already started teaching myself how to cast wandlessly before I started my Nen training. And while I've worked hard to regain what little control I have right now, I still have problems; that's especially true when I lose my temper."

"How bad could it be?" Ron asked with a negligent wave of his hand. "I mean, it's not like a little wild magic ever killed anyone."

"My uncontrolled aura killed at least twenty people a couple months ago while I was in a blind rage and earlier tonight I destroyed who knows how many dementors after I failed to save Sirius. So, to answer your question, Ron; it can be very bad and yes, my wild magic will kill people. I also fully expect a number of wizards and witches to die by my hand in the coming weeks because the wizarding world declared war on my family."

"Bloody hell, mate."

"Harry! You can't just go around killing people!" Hermione automatically protested as she stared at Harry in borderline horror.

"You can't expect to win a war without spilling blood," Canary flatly countered as she frowned at the witch. "James's enemies have already begun wholesale killing and you can't very well expect him to hold himself back just to spare the lives of those who would not hesitate to kill him or you; otherwise everyone in this house is as good as dead."

"But killing is wrong!"

"Do you think Voldemort, the Death Eaters, the Ministry, or Dumbledore really care? They're the ones that started this war," Harry quietly countered as he tried not to get upset over Hermione's moral stance. "How many muggleborns have been lost since the invention of electricity due to the suppression of information? How many innocents have fallen to the wands of Death Eaters because they were born to non-magical families? And how many people could have been saved if someone had just stood up and said no more ten years ago…? Twenty years ago…? A hundred years ago…?"

"What happened to you, Harry? You never would have gone around killing people before last year."

"Hermione, I killed Quirrell at the end of our first year," Harry countered sharply as the censure in her words cut him rather deeply. "Sure, the fact that Voldemort's spirit was riding around on the back of his head was more than a little unhealthy and the unicorn's blood he drank to sustain himself and Voldemort's spirit probably made things worse; but I was still the one that killed him. It was my touch that turned his body to ash. In second year, I killed a basilisk and the shade of Tom Riddle that was possessing Ginny. So, yeah, I _did_ go around killing things before last year."

Hermione looked more than a little stricken in response to that and Harry almost felt bad about forcing her to really see him instead of the image that she'd built of him over the years. He also felt more than a little horrified with himself over his casual acceptance of the lives he'd taken to date and his decision to take more lives in the very near future. At the same time, he knew he wouldn't back down or change his mind. He also knew that the other side wouldn't hesitate to exploit any sign of weakness that he showed and even the smallest act of mercy would be treated as a weakness.

Harry let out a heavy sigh before he offered, "Look, Hermione, I don't enjoy killing people and I pray to god that I never do because I don't want to end up like Voldemort but I'm not going to just let my enemies walk away and give them a chance to strike at me again. Nor do I have any plans to run about killing everyone who disagrees with me. At the same time, I can't afford to pull my punches because it'll be the innocents that suffer if I should fail to exterminate the vermin that infest our society."

"And before you tell me I should let the courts have them; please remember that the courts in the wizarding world are broken. If they weren't, then Sirius would have never been sent to jail without a trial and people like Snape and Malfoy wouldn't have got off scot-free. Even if the courts weren't broken, do you really think that sending any person to Azkaban is in any way humane? You know what the dementors do to people; can you honestly say that justice is being served by sending people to be tortured to death a little a time as the dementors kill them inch by inch?"

"I… I think I understand but I still think it's wrong to kill," Hermione offered in a tiny voice that let Harry know that she was still very shaken up by the revelation that he had killed and was fully willing to kill again. "I also don't think I could ever kill someone else no matter who they were."

"That's fine. I don't expect any of you to go around killing your opponents. I do, however, fully expect you to put them down and put them down hard to take them out of the fight; we're not holding a dueling competition, we're fighting for our very lives. If you don't think you can do that, then I need to know now so that I can either make arrangements for you to be put in charge of research or have you sent to a safe house until the war is over. That goes for the rest of you as well; if you can't fight to win, then I don't want you fighting at all because I refuse to send you out to die."

"We'll fight!" the twins announced in unison without an ounce of hesitation.

"Fight!" Neville fiercely agreed as he clutched his wand tightly.

"Fight!" Gon and Killua crowed slightly out of sync as they jumped to their feet with obvious excitement.

"I already told you that I will fight at your side," Canary stated as she twirled her skull-basher in a move that was clearly meant to remind Harry how she'd feel about being left behind again.

"I've got your back, mate," Ron firmly declared as a steely glint entered his blue eyes. "I failed you last year after your name came out of the Goblet of Fire when I let my jealously blind me to the truth and I won't let it happen again. I refuse to be this generation's Wormtail; I'm not a coward and I won't betray my friends."

"Thanks, guys," Harry murmured thickly as he felt his heart swell with gratitude for their willingness to stick with him in light of what he'd told them. He then returned his gaze to Hermione as he prompted, "Hermione…?"

"I'll fight; Merlin knows how much trouble the lot of you would get into if I let you storm off on your own."

"We'll start training first thing tomorrow morning," Harry announced around a laugh. "For tonight, I'll need you guys to sound out the rest of our ragtag group and find out who else is willing to fight and tell them to join us in the morning. I'd do it myself but I'm exhausted and still rather upset about what happened to Padfoot tonight."

"We'll take care of it," George promptly promised as he and Fred rose to their feet and headed for the door.

"And we'll make sure everyone's up and ready bright and early tomorrow morning," Fred added just before they left the room.

"We'd better go help them or they'll be at it all night long," Hermione sighed as she stood up before she grabbed hold of Ron and pulled him to his feet as well. She then gave Harry one last bear hug before she dragged Ron out of the room to help sound out the others.

"What time did you plan to start tomorrow?" Neville asked as he made to follow the others out.

"No later than five; since I'll need time to test everyone's physical fitness before we actually start training."

"I'll let everyone know."

"Thanks, Nev."

Less than a minute later it was just Harry and the three non-magicals in the room and Harry let out a soft sigh before he glanced sideways at the trio that had followed him back to the wizarding world and inquired, "Did the three of you have any pressing questions you needed to ask before we deal with our sleeping arrangements for the night?"

"What's the little red-headed girl to you?" Canary demanded as she brought her baton up and began inspecting the weighted ball on the end as if to check it for weaknesses.

"She's my best friend's awkward little sister."

"She likes you."

"No, not really; she's had a crush on the 'Boy-Who-Lived' since before she even met me but she never really looked passed the whole Boy-Who-Lived crap to see me. Don't get me wrong; Ginny's a nice enough girl but I'd never look at her twice because she's just one of the many little fan-girls that see me as some sort of fairy book hero and I have no intention of living up to their unrealistic expectations."

Canary just let out an indifferent hum but the slightly smug cast to the small smirk that was curling her lips upwards said she was pleased with Harry's answer. Harry felt an answering smirk tugging at his lips; his beautiful lady jay was just as territorial as the feisty bird that he'd based her nickname on.

"Urgh; will you two stop being so disgusting," Killua complained as he tried to kick Harry in the ankle only to miss when Harry casually lifted his foot out of the way.

"I can and will cut off your donut supply if you're going to be a brat," Harry threatened in return before he caught the younger boy in a headlock.

"No! Not the donuts!" Gon bellowed as he launched himself over the table in an attempt to tackle Harry.

Unwilling to be pounced on my the mule, Harry spun out of the way and let go of Killua at the same time; causing Gon to bulldoze the other twelve year old to the ground. The pair of them immediately started arguing as they wrestled back and forth across the floor and Harry smirked at them as he snagged Canary's hand and pulled her towards his tent.

"This is going to feel really weird and you're going to feel like you're sitting too close to a fire for a brief moment while thinking you have somewhere else you need to be right this instant. The wards won't hurt you as long as you don't let go of my hand though and once you're inside, I can key you into the wards so you can come and go as you please."

Canary's only answer was to thread her fingers through Harry's and tighten her grip on his hand. Harry flashed her a brief grin before he crouched down and slipped into the tent as he pulled his girlfriend behind him. The moment they were inside, Harry stood up and moved to the side while he waited for Canary to recover from the odd sensation of being dragged through the wards. It didn't take her long and the young apprentice butler glanced about the expanded interior of the tent with more than a little surprise.

"Are we inside of the tent?"

"Yep."

"Then why does it look like we're in an apartment?"

"Because the tent holds a fully furnished one bedroom flat inside of it."

"How is that possible?"

"Magic," Harry replied before he deftly dodged Canary's hand as she attempted to backhand him across the stomach in response to his rather smart-mouthed reply. "Well, it's the truth; magic was used to expand the interior of the tent to make room for everything. There are also spells that reduce the overall weight of the tent, circulate fresh air from the outside, and prevent the space inside from collapsing."

Canary hummed a wordless reply before she imperiously ordered, "Give me a tour."

"Of course, my lady jay; though I'm afraid there really isn't all that much to see. The room we are in the living room slash entryway. To our left is what I've dubbed Minky's personal territory; the kitchen slash dining room where the all important donuts are made. Minky is happiest when she's cooking up a storm and not having her kitchen invaded by upstart humans looking for a glass of juice."

"This is my bedroom and home to a small slice of Zevil Island that Dobby stole in order to make a proper home for a little friend that I picked up during the Hunter's Exam," Harry continued as he escorted his girlfriend through the door at the back of the tent. "And you'll find the bathroom through that door on the left. So, like I said; not much to see but it's a rather nice a cozy place to camp out in while traveling with a pair of sugar obsessed twerps."

"It's far nicer than I thought it would be," Canary commented as she pulled her eyes away from the enclosed terrarium where the snakes were happily living in their private paradise.

"Yeah, it is. The best part is that I'm the only one that can get into it so I never have to worry about being attacked while I sleep. Speaking of which, I'm going to need an ounce of blood from you so that I can key you into the wards so you'll be able to enter without me needing to be there to pull you through the wards."

It would take less than five minutes to key Canary into the wards and as soon as that was done, the two of them ended up seated at the counter in the living room with steaming mugs of freshly made hot chocolate while listening to Minky putter about in the kitchen as she whipped up an offering of fresh donuts for the two pre-teens they had ditched earlier. Harry's good mood faded fairly quickly at that point as everything that had happened since Tanker had popped up in a panic to tell him about the traps Dumbledore had set up for Moony and Padfoot crashed down around him once more.

"Will you be keying Killua and Gon into the wards on the tent as well?" Canary inquired before Harry could drown beneath the wave of grief that had swept over him.

"Yeah, I'll do that in a bit."

"You're upset; does it bother you that much to allow others into your little magic apartment?"

"It's not sharing that tent that bothers me," Harry corrected as he pushed his untouched mug away from him before he planted his elbows on the table so he could cradle his head in his hands. "I'm still so very angry over what happened to my godfather earlier. I could have saved him if I'd been just two minutes faster. He never would have been in danger if it wasn't for Dumbledore though and I hate that I can't just storm Hogwarts right now to make him pay for everything he's done to my family."

"Is there anything that can be done for your godfather?"

"No, all we can do is keep his body comfortable until it dies."

Canary abandoned her chocolate a split second later before she snagged hold of Harry's wrist and dragged him to the bedroom where she imperiously told him to get ready for bed before she disappeared. When she returned a few minutes later, she had her pack in hand and informed him that Killua and Gon would be sleeping in the outer room that night before she slipped into the bathroom to get ready for bed. She would join Harry in the bed just a few minutes later and pull him into a loose embrace that saw his head gently cradled against her chest.

As nice as the intimate position was, it was the silent comfort that his girlfriend was giving him that Harry appreciated the most. There were no empty platitudes and no amorous attempts to distract him; just Canary's strong arms holding him close as his heart ached for Sirius's terrible fate.

* * *

**Notes:**

Canary's Aura – since Canary's aura type has not been given in either the manga or the anime as far as I could tell (I even checked the wiki several times over the course of writing this chapter), I chose to have her be a Manipulator after much contemplation. Part of the reason for that was because the other members of the small group already accounted for the other categories (Killua a Transmuter, Gon an Enhancer, Leorio an Emitter, Kurapika a Conjurer and Specialist, and Harry a Specialist and Wizard). Zushi is also a Manipulator but he isn't really part of the group since he pretty much gets left behind. I did consider making her an Enhancer like Gon but decided against it in the end.

It was also rather hard to come up with a proper focus for her manipulations since I didn't want her to copy an existing one; though the one I chose does share a few similarities with a couple of other characters (including Illumi) but they aren't quite the same. The differences will be explored later in the story when we actually see Canary fight; something I've not really shown in any detail in past chapters. Though I think the abilities I've given her explains why she was able to face and beat overwhelming numbers.

Ginny – no, I wasn't bashing Ginny in this chapter. Nor am I going to turn her into little Miss Potion's Queen and have her dose Harry to steal him from Canary. Ginny is young and she believes she's in love. She's also immature and feeling more than a little insecure because Fleur has the looks, Hermione has the brains, and now here is Canary with the brawn. She'll grow up eventually. Oh, and the reason why Ginny (and to a lesser extent Ron) are even there with the others will be explained in a later chapter so please don't hound me with complaints about how Molly would never let her two youngest out of her sight.

Hermione – I was also not bashing Hermione in this chapter. Hermione has a very rigid sense of what it right and wrong (S.P.E.W. is a prime example) and very strong morals and Harry's new, ruthless approach shocked her to the core. You could also say that's she's had on a pair of rose colored lenses when looking at her friend and those just got knocked off of her and now she has to reevaluate what she knows about her friend. Don't forget, she's also had her faith in authority figures seriously shaken due to everything that's happened since Harry overheard Snape and Dumbledore plotting at the end of his fourth year.

* * *

**AN:**_ Well, here it is a year later and I've FINALLY got this chapter finished…__ and let me tell you, it was a right pain in the butt to get it done. No one wanted to cooperate with me and the ending is no where near what I'd originally imagined but I got tired of beating my head against a dead muse and this is what we have. So, good news; here's the chapter! Yeah! Bad news...? This is the only chapter and I haven't even started on the next one yet. I'm hoping that it won't be another year before I can update again but I make no promises because I'm revising my war plans for this story in order for them to work out the way I intend for them to work.  
_

_Not sure what story will be updated next but if you keep an eye on my author's page, I'll update my project list with that info as soon as I have an idea! In the mean time, I'll leave you all with a huge thanks for being patient while I beat this chapter to death in order to get it out and hope it was worth the wait. ~ Jenn_


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